


Parenting101

by PrinceOfUchiha



Series: I'm Watching Over You [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Big Brother Uchiha Itachi, Don't forget that Itachi needs love too, Family Feels, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hashirama and Madara are brought back to life, Indra and Ashura are tired of fighting, Itachi deserves happiness, Itachi recieves comfort too, M/M, Protective Uchiha Sasuke, Sasuke and Itachi are adopted by Hashirama and Hashirama, Sasuke becomes a Sensei, Sasuke is taught morals, Sasuke learns love, Selfless Sasuke, Senju Hashirama- centric, Uchiha Itachi Being a Good Brother, Uchiha Itachi Has Issues, Uchiha Itachi Lives, Uchiha Itachi-centric, Uchiha Madara loves his clan, Uchiha Madara-centric, Uchiha Sasuke Has Issues, Uchiha Sasuke Needs a Hug, Uchiha Sasuke-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:49:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 46
Words: 141,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22962685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrinceOfUchiha/pseuds/PrinceOfUchiha
Summary: Indra and Ashura just wanted to rest in peace. Their spirits were far too old to be babysitting their reincarnations, yet here they were. The best way to fix the situation? Send Hashirama and Madara down to deal with it. They could see the downward spiral the last two Uchihas were going down. If they were going to send help, it had to be now.Hashirama and Madara are revived by Indra and Ashura to teach Itachi and Sasuke how to be civil, but they ended up adopting them instead. With two new caregivers, there is hope to end the curse of hatred yet!
Relationships: Hoshigaki Kisame/Uchiha Itachi, Hyuuga Neji/Uchiha Sasuke, Senju Hashirama/Uchiha Madara
Series: I'm Watching Over You [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1927141
Comments: 35
Kudos: 219





	1. Who Are You!?

**Author's Note:**

> This is one of my old fanfics, but hopefully its enjoyable. No flames please, constructive criticism only. The ages are edited as follows: (I am well aware Itachi is five years older than Sasuke, not three. It's just for this story.)
> 
> Hashirama: 30
> 
> Madara: 28
> 
> Itachi:16
> 
> Sasuke: 13

Madara could not help but stare lightly at Indra and Ashura as they spoke. Surely, they could not be serious. He glanced at his longtime friend, Hashirama, to see his stand on it all. Of course, Hashirama being Hashirama, he didn't seem to think it was an impossible task at all.

Hashirama nodded with a serious look "Of course we would be honored to accept this mission, Indra-Sama, and Ashura-Sama." he agreed for himself and Madara.

Madara quickly interrupted whatever Ashura was about to say, "Or we would if we thought it would end well." he gave Hashirama a firm look "I understand you two wishing for the last Uchiha to thrive and hopefully revive their clan, but this all sounds like trouble waiting to happen." he shook his head back and forth.

"You say you wish for us to be reanimated and go to earth to be guardians over Sasuke and Itachi Uchiha. But one, I shouldn't be role modeling or taking care of anyone as shown by my lifetime, nor Hashirama for that matter- he taught his five-year-old granddaughter to gamble! For two, why couldn't Hashirama do it himself if he's such a good choice?" he defended.

Indra sighed slightly at Madara, though he wasn't surprised by his hesitation. After all, Madara wasn't exactly a good man by most standards during his lifetime. He explained "We believe that Sasuke and Itachi Uchiha are both capable of becoming great assets to the world. They both show great promise, but if it is left alone as things are then Sasuke will surely be lead down a vengeful path for all the wrongs he has been dealt with Itachi following his brother even if he doesn't agree." he spoke, eyeing Madara.

Ashura picked up for his partner "As for why you two; that is simple. Hashirama is a great shinobi with an honorable set of morals to pass on without being too controlling. He is more laid back while you are a powerful ninja with a set of firm morals. If it was only Hashirama, they would not be able to guide them. They are true Uchihas. Stubborn as they come with sharp tongues, but Uchiha hold a degree of respect for each other and especially elder Uchiha. Hashirama will be the gas and you will be the breaks."

Madara looked a bit disgruntled but knew that the older males spoke the truth; Uchiha children were no picnic to raise. In fact, it wasn't uncommon for parents to become so aggravated with the children they would take on extra high ranking missions just to get out of the village. Hence the self-care and maturity most Uchiha children showed that other clans besides the Huuyga could never imagine.

Clearing his throat, Indra repeated his question. "So, will you two accept this mission? Keep in mind that this will require quite a bit of our life-based chakra so we will not send you if you do not think you are prepared. Though it is best for both the village and your clan." giving Hashirama and Madara pointed looks.

Exchanging a quick glance with Hashirama once more, Madara and him nodded in union "We accept this mission, thank you". They only received a pair of nods in return, and just like that, they could feel themselves being pulled into the physical world. Ah, Madara had a feeling this was going to hurt when he woke up.

Once again, Madara found himself correct. His body ached as he slowly sat up, glancing around after his eyes adjusted to the light from the sun. He slowly stood up, Hashirama doing the same beside him.

The brunette stretched his arms out, giving Madara one of his signature grins "Well, might as well get a move on. From what Indra said earlier, Sasuke is still in the Uchiha compound living alone and his brother hops from village to village working as a spy for Kohona but always returns home to peek at Sasuke and make sure he's alright. So, if we head to Sasuke now, we can just capture Itachi next time he stops by to check up on his brother." he explained, heading off as he spoke without even realizing what he was doing.

Madara's face dropped and he grabbed the back of Hashirama's shirt "This way, idiot. The Uchiha compound is this way." he clarified with a frown.

Hashirama didn't seem put off however as he just continued chattering about how beautiful the world was looking after years of being presumably war-free, Madara only staying quiet and offering a slight nod in agreeance occasionally.

By the time the two arrived, it was dark, and around 9:00 pm. Hashirama was about to knock but was interrupted by Madara pushing the door open and entering as though he owned the house. Hashirama sweatdropped "Do you really think storming into the house is such a good idea-" only to be cut off my Madara's glare.

The ravenette glared "I built most of this compound, I don't need to knock-" ready to continue on but interrupted by a door opening. In the doorway stood a very startled Sasuke, with damp hair and nothing but a towel around his waist.

The teen had obviously just gotten out of the shower, hence him not hearing them enter. Upon seeing the two older strangers in his home-both looking familiar for some reason- he felt threatened as most people in his position would. He quickly brought a light fire to both of his hands, planting his feet firmly to the ground and growling "Who are you?" while eyeing the two suspiciously.

Hashirama couldn't help the laughter that spilled from his lips, splitting the stressful silence between the three.

Madara gave his friend a mildly annoyed look, Sasuke's eyebrows lightly raising in confusion of the outburst while deciding whether or not to take it as a mockery.

Finally, after a moment Hashirama quieted down and Sasuke felt his ears go an angry shade of red, his flaming hands flickering. In that split second he lunged over at Hashirama, aiming to hit him in the chest.

The only thing that stopped him, was the man grabbing his wrist and lightly but firmly lowering it. The teen lost his inconspicuousness once he felt his arm being touched, moving to sweep the other male's leg.

Once again he found his attack disabled, along with the many punches he through in between. It was not that he was weak or a horrible fighter, in fact, he was quite good, it was more the fact he was sending Genin level strikes at legendary fighters.

It took maybe three minutes before Sasuke was pinned down on his stomach by Madara, unable to move. The two had not hurt him nor wanted to, but this was not going to work if he was busy trying to fight them off before they could explain their purposes for comming. Eventually, Sasuke tired himself out and laid limp in the older Uchiha's hold. He was a sweaty and tired mess, but at least now perhaps he would listen to what the two had to say.


	2. Why Are You Here...?

Finally stopping his thrashing, though still beyond tense at his captures hold, Sasuke bowed his head lightly and tried to calm his clenched muscles. After a moment he felt a presence in front of him and looked up. As he looked up, Sasuke came eye to eye with the man he had tried to set aflame the day before. His lips pressed together to make a flat line, nervous. It was a subtle movement that most trained ninja would miss had they not been looking for it.

Madara loosened his hold on Sasuke's arms, giving Hashirama an annoyed look as the brunette praised Sasuke, "My! You're awfully strong for someone your age. And here Madara was worrying the Uchiha clan would go soft without him around to keep order. Well, at least that solves one of his issues. He's not all there, ya know? But anyway I'm sure you're confused about this all. How about you get dressed and we all have a chat in the living room. That position of yours can't be comfortable." voice joking but the underlying note of warning there.

Sasuke felt a light pressure on his back as Madara pressed his arms into a more uncomfortable position as if to emphasize Hashirama's point. Sasuke was no fool and took it, knowing it was the best option for him to take. Slowly he nodded, looking away stubbornly however with his hair sweeping in front of his eyes to hide his face. He could feel the grip on his arms loosen until it was completely gone. The teen stood up slowly and moved towards his bedroom, eyeing the two mystery ninja suspiciously and subconsciously rubbing his wrists.

It didn't take too long until Hashirama and Madara were alone again, the ravenette leaning on a wall and crossing his arms as he waited for the scolding he was sure to get from Hashirama for grabbing the teen so tightly.

As predicted, Hashirama was off the moment Sasuke was out of earshot "Madara! You can't just grab him and haul him around like a sack of potatoes, what if his wrists are hurt now, you know you can't control your strength. We're supposed to be getting him on the right path by teaching him right from wrong not pounding it into him. This is exactly why Indra and Asura sent me too!"

This only made Madara give an annoyed look as he spoke "Calm down. I didn't do any harm it was only uncomfortable at most. I know, I know I'll keep my hands to myself. Don't get your panties in a twist." he assured the other.

Silence overtook both however as Sasuke returned, dressed and with his hair fixed from its earlier post-shower mess. He wore leg wraps across both ankles and up his legs, a pair of tan shorts, a blue high collar shirt that hid the lower half of his face at certain angles, arm braces, and a hidden leaf village-shinobi headband that was so bright in fabric and shiny in color it was easy to tell it was decently new- he obviously had only graduated to ninja rank recently.

Madara could almost smirk at the was the teen approached. He walked straight with his shoulders back, though his hands were pressed firmly to his back and his eyes trained just to the side of Hashirama's as if trying to give an illusion of being able to look the other in the eyes. As said before however, almost. Instead, Madara felt a frown creasing his lips at how Sasuke seemed so defensive for someone his age, living in a time of peace at that.

Hashirama was the one to lighten up the mood of course as he smiled warmly to the teen "Ah, so I see you're a ninja of the hidden leaf village! Tell me, what rank are you?" he asked, knowing the answer but deciding it had the possibility to lighten the mood.

"Rookie Genin." was Sasuke's simple reply, but one that didn't miss a beat. Simply by his tone both of the more experienced ninja knew that Sasuke was proud he had earned the title, but the confidence in his voice didn't allow either to be lead astray to thinking it had been difficult for him.

After a long hard moment, Sasuke made eye contact with Hashirama and spoke "I don't know who you are but if the village finds out there's someone pretending to be the first Hokage-Sama you'll be dead by noon tomorrow. The leaf village is full of highly trained ninja, any one of the elders who met the First Hokage-Sama is going to realize and you'll be dead." he crossed his arms.

Continuing on he spoke, much to Hashirama and Madara's amusement and interest at the fact people still knew them years after their deaths. "And you, I'm assuming, are pretending to be Madara-Sama. That is beyond foolish because even if you somehow imitated him perfectly or if you're hoping to use the fact that there are no elders of the Uchiha clan left then you forget that almost everyone outside the Uchiha clan hates Madara-Sama. So you'll be killed either way." he spoke in a matter-of-the-fact tone.

After a few seconds, even Madara couldn't help but chuckle at the young Uchiha's conclusion. He moved over towards him, doing his signature playish squat and tilting his head with a smirk. He flicked the teen's forehead lightly and spoke "I'm glad my clan is as smart as ever. It would be a flawless conclusion, unfortunately, the world isn't black and white kid."

The reaction he got was golden. The teen's hands flew up to protect his forehead, an odd mix between a frown and a smile coming to his lips as he made a surprised sound. He flustered lightly at his auto-set reaction from the many timesItachihad done it to him, glaring out one open eye as he spoke "Madara-Sama is dead." he clarified his words as though Madara hadn't heard him the first time.

His accusing words died in his throat as Madara activated his Sharingan. His eyes widened and he quickly tried to move away, his past encounters with the eye never being good. Ah yes, nothing like showing your younger brother all his family and friends being murdered to strengthen the good old brotherly bond.

His growling and first attempts to reach out and wack Madara over the face were killed however as he watched the scene that was played for him. It was one of Indra and Asura explaining the importance of the mission to take care of him and Itachi was. The scene was played a few times over before Madara released him, Sasuke slumping slightly on reflex as his body went through the normal slumpish and exhausting phase from being moved from such a mental space back to reality.

Madara put a hand on the suddenly wary teen's shoulder, trying to keep him up straight. It failed however as even though Madara hadn't been using the eye as an attack, it had still intruded on the teens mind, which made him irresistibly tired because if how strong Madara found himself tumbling down, but instead of the awaited thump to the ground as he expected, he found himself held up by Madara.

Madara held Sasuke and slowly moved to pick the passed out teen up. He sighed as Hashirama whistled "Handled that one like a pro. Glad we could all have a nice calm conversation in the living room." playfully poking at his old friend who only grunted in response.


	3. Gomen!

As Sasuke woke from his brief unconsciousness, the light surrounding him flashed over his eyes until dimming down so he could see the rest of the room. He slowly recognized it as his own living room and reflexively stretched himself out. His body was stiff from the momentary unconsciousness, and so after he stretched he realized he was laying on top of something, or more precisely, someone.

Sasuke shot up as he realized his head had been laying on Hashirama's lap as the older male lightly pressed a cool washrag to his forehead. He moved his arm up to wipe the coolness from his forehead, all the while sending the brunette light glares.

Madara was leaning against the wall, watching as this happened. Sasuke was normally a very reserved and calm person. Normally, he would be able to at least hold his own with most adults in a fight. Normally, he would feel enraged at anyone who dared to break into the Uchiha compound. But at the moment, all he felt was confused. He wasn't able to hold his own at all, and the two elder had practically tossed him around like a rag doll so far without any real effort. Not to mention according to what he just saw, the ravenette was indeed not only an Uchiha but also the one who built the damn compound. Hence why Sasuke was unsure of his ever few shown emotions at the moment.

After a long moment of Sasuke being bitter at these facts, his face paled to an almost ghostly color. He had just cursed at and accused not only the third Hokage but also the Madara Uchiha. Sasuke had a feeling his father would be smacking him upside the head for showing such legendary heroes such disrespect even if it was unintentional.

Now, normally Sasuke would never regret an action once it was done and over with as it was already done. Once again, however, this was a special case. Like lightning, once he was done gawking at his realization, his headshot down and hands moved to a bow, much like the one he had seen his older brother give his father an apology after one of their arguments over-regulation versus evolution.

"Gomen-nasai.", Sasuke couldn't say he didn't feel foolish for making such a mistake and double for trying to give an awkward apologetic bow. He very rarely had to give any apologies due to living alone and his grades and skills being far from recommendable. He rarely spoke words he didn't mean, so there too was a reason he was unused to the practice.

At the time, Sasuke had truly meant that he thought the two would be killed for looking like impostures. On some level, he wanted to deny it, but it would click into place why nothing was adding up- from their strengths to why the ravenette would have a Sharingan. He kept his head down until he felt a hand move to lightly rest on the top of his black spiked hair.

Hashirama smiled thinly at the teen and rested his hand on his head, assuring him "It's alright, anyone in your position would have every right to not find our explanation or appearance trustworthy." he noted.

Madara gave a firm nod, not that Sasuke could see it with his head still lowered, waiting for the two elder men to speak. Madara agreed verbally after a moment of compressing his thoughts "Yes, that is true I suppose. It would be a bit far fetched to follow an idea as radical as this one. Unfortunately, Indra-San and Asura-San didn't bother thinking of how you would react. That or they're laughing their asses off now." he noted as Sasuke slowly raised his head.

Sasuke noted, looking away and grumbling "This is a stupid idea." not like the implication that he would have to be watched by Hashirama and Madara for who knows how many years until he wasn't seen as a threat.

Madara raised a brow "Oh? And why is it such a bad idea?" he questioned, curious if the teen had a real reason or if he simply didn't want to be watched over. He was half impressed and half concerned with Sasuke's detailed reply.

"For one, the village will still kill you both if they see you I'm sure, for two the money I make each month doesn't cover food for three people, for three Itachi is probably off murdering kittens or stealing from old ladies somewhere, for four Itachi can't be in the same house as me or bloodshed shall take place, for five if anyone ever tried to boss Itachi around he'd have them dead in a minute tops. So on and so forth." he crossed his arms stubbornly.

The oldest Uchiha in the room was quick to reprimand, older brother instincts kicking in as he spoke "Itachi is your older brother, I doubt he is anywhere near as bad as you say for two reasons. One, he is probably only like that near you because of the obvious disrespect you seem to show him, and two because Indra and Asura wouldn't have called on us to help him too if he was a lost cause". Hashirama on the other hand only raised a brow and asked "Why the dislike for your older brother? I'm sure Itachi would be heartbroken hearing you say such things." he noted.

Quickly Sasuke spoke "No, he wouldn't be upset hearing it because he told me himself that hating him was the perfect thing to do." he glared "And he lost my respect when he decided to kill them." he snorted lightly.

This only arose more questions as Madara questioned "Killed who?" neither aware of the tragedy of the Uchiha clan. They merely guessed that everyone was inside since it was dark when they arrived. Quickly however both sensed an aura of distress coming from the teen though he hid it well.

After all, you would need to learn how to hide it well when you were literally the walking reminder of such a horrid event. Had no one been left alive after it all maybe it would have eventually died down? Maybe there could be a peaceful history lesson where students showed as much boredom and the Sensei was as straight forward and insensitive as when they went over the great ninja wars. Maybe the compound would be torn down and used for a new area of town or a vacation spot for someone rich enough. Maybe it would go down as another small mark in history that no one would pay much mind to- a clan ending as they tended to do eventually though not in a conventional way.

Unfortunately, this was not the case with Sasuke. Whispers could still be heard as he walked down the street after school. During history lessons, the room would be tense with students desperate not to look his way and the Sensei tiptoeing around the lesson, all the while Sasuke wishing he was anywhere else. The compound remained intact because 'that Uchiha brat' still lived there and they couldn't just demolish it. But Sasuke wasn't as lucky.

As these thoughts rushed painfully fast through his mind Sasuke couldn't help but wondering what Madara Uchiha himself, the one who practically built the clan compound, was like. If he was as amazing as all the books he was forced to read during his years as the child of the head clan. Not that he would complain- the books were interesting. But most of them showed Madara's psychology rather than his actual personality. He supposed that was for another time however as he realized he was being stared at by both Hashirama and Madara for his long silence. He finally broke it with- "The Uchiha", looking at them as if it were obvious.

Both the older males gave a confused and slightly startled look as Sasuke spoke "The Great Uchiha Massacre? You know, the attack that killed off all but two Uchiha?" moving his arms around for emphasis as he spoke. Seeing no further understanding Sasuke gave an annoyed sigh as he explained "About seven or eight years ago Itachi decided he needed to test his strength. As though being in the ANBU at age eleven and captain at thirteen wasn't test enough, damn egotist. Long story short he killed every single Uchiha in a single night. Everyone besides me and him I mean."

The reactions he got were about what he expected- a hidden surprise that forced its way to both of their faces. Madara asked with furrowed brows "He killed that many Uchiha in a single night?" Sasuke nodded, making both the adult's stomachs turn as they suddenly realized.

Sasuke was there to see it all. Sasuke was still alive to live through it all. But most of all, Sasuke would be there to hear it all as long as he lived. Hashirama felt a pang of guilt for bringing it up, knowing himself how painful watching so much death at a young age could be. All he could think to say was, "Gomen."


	4. Silence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who doesn't know, Name Of The Sin is a Vocaloid Song. It's a great song and I highly recommend. It seems like something that Sasuke would enjoy, I think. It's a story of someone born to be great but having it all taken away because the god of fate is cruel. It is a romantic song, talking about the story of the cursed girl being saved and loved by a boy who refused to side with fate and hate her no matter how he was bribed. It really is a gorgeous song.

A silence came over the three of them, though it was not an awkward one. For Hashirama, it was a moment of racing thoughts. How were he and Madara supposed to guide someone who had been through hell as firey as Sasuke's? On another hand though, he could see them doing better than most would be able to because of both his and Madara's battered pasts. Indeed, the things they had seen were not things that should be seen by anyone as young as they were. Then not to mention there was the issue of having to guide Itachi. How do you guide someone so broken that they murdered their entire clan in presumably cold blood? He had no idea but knew they would need to figure something out.

Hashirama tried his best to remember the fact that there were two sides to each story, however. If he could give Sasuke the doubt that perhaps he wasn't as screwed as he should be, he knew he should give Itachi the same chance to show that to him and Madara. He reminded himself that Itachi was still only a child too, even if he didn't seem to have a reputation as one. He guessed based on what he had been told of Itachi he couldn't be any older than sixteen. There had to be some reason for the boy to snap as he did. Whether it was the stress of being an Uchiha prodigy or him being manipulated by someone he had no idea. But for now, he decided to hold back any prejudices.

For Madara, on the other hand, the silence was a brief moment of grief. He couldn't help but having a sense of grief after finding out such a large part of his life was gone. He and Hashirama had worked hard to built the village and the clan along with it. Knowing it was gone forced his 'curse of hatred' as it had been called for years now. He did have to wonder however if the clan was that weak to lose to a single child in a single night, or was it that the single child was so strong he managed to take out the entire clan in a single night.

It was only then that it struck Madara over the head, that the teen sitting across from Hashirama and him on the couch was still indeed there, as was the compound. After this clicked, a small gear shifted in his head that made him feel as though he needed to keep him out of harm's way. If he could just keep Sasuke alive, maybe then the teen could one day restore the clan. Though the bloodline would weaken quite a bit since there were no Uchiha women left for Sasuke or Itachi to fall in love with, at least it would still continue on. He pushed this aside however as he noted the top priority is that they needed to at least live their lives to the fullest.

On one hand, he would die twice for the Uchiha clan to be revived, but on another, he wasn't about to demand it of the kid or pressure him into it. He could only hope. He noted after a moment of glancing over at the teen the similarities he showed to Izuna when he was younger. The similar hairstyles, the straightened back that most Uchiha had, the dark and piercing gaze despite the teen having no ill intent or mood, there entire being was so similar that he was sure Sasuke could have passed as him if he dressed differently. Once again, a small protective gear shifted in his head. He would need to keep Sasuke safe and make sure he and Itachi stayed on the right path.

Sasuke was silent merely because he felt there was nothing else to say. He felt uncomfortable with the fact that he would be having a guardian to look over him from now on and that Itachi could return home at some point and he'd be forced to try to attack the older Uchiha far before he was ready, but he also knew that if someone as powerful and wise as Indra or Asura thought he needed watching, he probably did. The teen let out a slight scoff and stood, heading over to his room.

Just before he entered his room he broke the silence, "There's a room upstairs with a double-wide mattress and a room two doors down from it with a single wide". He didn't wait for either of their comments as he closed his door behind him. He headed over to his bed and slide into a pair of silky black pajamas- a button up shirt and a pair of plain pants. Normally, he would have changed directly into these after his shower. However, he decided against being in pajamas near possible attackers.

He quickly cast a protection jutsu that would lead to anyone who entered his room through either the door or window to be blocked; as usual. He quietly moved his blanket and sheets back to crawl into the bed, pulling the covers over him. He closed his eyes, and as usual, was met with the gory images from that night so long ago. He clenched his jaw along with his eyes, quietly wondering if what Madara had shown him had been a complete truth. What if it wasn't? What if they had actually been sent to keep an eye on him in case he turned against the village? What then? Would they be ordered to kill him?

These thoughts disturbed Sasuke. Then what about Itachi? Surely Indra and Asura knew what he did? They were practically seen as gods to most who knew of them! Sasuke clenched his eyes further at the idea that maybe Madara and Hashirama were just waiting until Itachi arrived before killing off them both completely. That would solve the problem all together technically.

The teen tried to comfort himself with the reasoning that Hashirama was the First Hokage and would never purposely harm anyone of the village. Not to mention Madara had supposedly been extremely protective of his clan and especially children. They wouldn't kill him, reasoned against his nerves. Sasuke had read books upon books over Hashirama just as he had Madara; only these were for school rather than the clan. He only hoped that those books hadn't manipulated the truth to make the founders look better than they really were.

Sasuke slowly closed drifted off into a stressed sleep, one with many interruptions. Any little noise was enough to set him off, whether it was a raccoon outside digging in the trash or footsteps in the hallway. It was a very long night for the ravenette.

Madara and Hashirama didn't seem as though they would be having a very good night either. On one hand, Hashirama noted, "At least it doesn't seem like he'll be putting up much of a fight against it all. I guess Indra was right, having someone so highly respected by him and the rest of his clan will come in handy in making sure he doesn't run loose."

The older Uchiha nodded "I'm sure that had a lot to do with it." figuring as much, the thought passing through his mind that he should probably at least glance around the house to get an idea of how Sasuke was living or if there was anything they needed to work on fixing. He doubted it as the teen seemed pretty well taken care of, but who knew. At least they knew he showered- most teenage boys living in a village of ninja wouldn't bother with it since it could easily be said it was dirt from recent training.

His thought process was interrupted as he felt Hashirama pink his cheek and playfully smirk, "Though I'm surprised they'd fuss over someone like little ol' you." the brunette noted "And what are you doing? This might be your compound but I doubt the kid will like you digging through his things let alone without asking." Hashirama scolded him lightly as he watched Madara ignore him and continue digging through the many drawers quietly.

In the drawers, there was nothing particularly striking. They were all sorted out efficiently- the top drawer was filled with medical supplies, the second was filled with all of his semester grades from the academy from year one to graduation, and the third was filled with what appeared to be photo albums. He didn't touch the medical supplies, seeing no reason to. He glanced through the papers and was somewhat satisfied. The teen had perfect marks in Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, Taijutsu, and critical thinking however had only a C in emotional thinking and a low F in cooperation. He knew that having a low emotional thinking score would make him perfect when being considered for an ANBU position, but the score in cooperation would harm him anywhere as a ninja. Whether a ninja was pulling weeds and needed to have a strong system with his team to get done fast or was being put as a member of ANBU for the assassination of a group, cooperation was important,

Madara nor Hashiramam touched the photo albums, which were dusted over with obviously little use. That was one boundary Madara wouldn't cross- those were memories that he would only ever see if Sasuke showed him or gave him permission to look at. The drawers were shut and both stood up, Madara glancing over the books on the wooden bookshelf beside the couch. The top shelf had books on the main history of the clan, the second had books on the main history of the village, the third had books over the many kekkei Genkai, the fourth had books over self-care, and much to both their surprise, the fifth had a series of narrative stories. There were a few lone narratives, but the one he had the most seemed to be a series labeled "The Name of The Sin". They were blue covered books, the only design on them being an ominous black lily flower which dripped blood off its petals.

It was obvious that all the books had been used frequently, and recently. They were in good condition, but you couldn't help the color fading from the pages. Madara raised a brow at the books "Well, at least we know he takes the time to give himself a break. Too much training without any recovery time doesn't do much good." he noted, Madara nodding as the two noted the few DVDs piled on the television stand. They were mostly adventure or action movies, as would be expected of someone his age who was an aspiring ninja. After finishing checking out the main room they glanced around the others.

There were two full bathrooms, one upstairs and one downstairs. Upstairs there were, in fact, two rooms upstairs as Sasuke had said, along with a library. It would appear the books from downstairs were merely his favorite or most read books. On the downstairs, there was the living room, the bathroom, the kitchen, the dining room, Sasuke's room, a training room, and a porch beside the training room which lead outback.

In the upstairs bedroom, it was tidy, a plain black bed made perfectly with an end table and closet. The room was mostly emptied out, both figured it had belonged to the head of the clan and his wife before they were killed. All the important documents from the room and whatnot would have been cleared long ago. The other room however with the single bed was a bit different. It was cleaned up, the bed a simple red with no real design. There was a black bookshelf which was packed with books, an ANBU mask resting on the end table near the bed. The desk was near a window, with a closet on the far side. It looked like a typical teenager's room, minus the posters or junk a normal teenager would have laying around. They assumed this was once Itachi's bedroom. It was cleaned up, though it wasn't deep cleaned like the rest of the house. This room had a bit of dust in certain spaces, making it obvious it was normally avoided.

The library wasn't unreasonable huge, though it was still rather large. It had non-fiction books, history books, jutsu books, information books over noteworthy ninja, and a few other select ones. There weren't really any fiction, however, which both of them made a note of. The room was well taken care of, and there was a table in the middle of the room for reading purposed along with a lamp for late-night reading.

They didn't look into Sasuke's room, not wanting to wake him up from his sleep. They did, however, check the kitchen, which ended up having the basics- a stove, oven, microwave, fridge, and a few cabinets. In the fridge was mostly healthy foods such as vegetables and meats. So that was good, the boy ate healthily. They could only hope he ate enough however, which wasn't certain with how thin he was for his age. But then, that could be contributed to all the training he most likely did which would burn off the food rather quickly. In the cabinets were mostly bread, cereals, and a few prescription pills.

In the dining room, there wasn't much besides a six-person table- four across from each other and two at the end. They assumed the two extra seats were for visitors. The room was clean, but nothing much particular about it. In the training room, there were multiple jutsu scrolls, weights, and general workout equipment. As they headed to the last spot in the house, the back yard, they couldn't see much of the yard but from what they could see there was a running track, quite a few practice dummies, a garden, and a spot off to the side that looked like it was the jutsu experiment zone. Overall, it was a nice house.

Hashirama noted aloud "I see why he was worried about having two more people moving in financial wise. I'm sure a large amount of his monthly allowance from the village goes into keeping everything orderly. Not to mention food, academy items, clothes, water, and electric bill, paying for training equipment. Adding two more people who need to eat and use water and electricity will raise the bill quite a bit. We should work on figuring out how to use the least amount of money and figure out how to increase the income without alerting anyone of our presence. Sasuke was correct there too. Many would react poorly to long lost leaders returning." only receiving a nod in response from Madara. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. This was going to be a long, hard, next few years.


	5. Good Morning

Sasuke woke up the next morning to sunlight leaking in through his windows and past the open blinds. His eyes twitched slightly as they opened up, scanning around the bedroom. His eyes moved from hazed and recently woken to wide and startled. He sniffed lightly as he smelt an unfamiliar stench, which made him sit up in his single-wide bed. He slid the dark blue blankets off his body and swung his legs around the side of the bed quickly before heading over to the door. Sasuke opened his door quickly and ran towards the kitchen.

The sight he was met with made him half want to cry and half want to laugh. Hashirama was holding a pan of beyond burned sausages, blowing on it. Meanwhile, Madara used a towel to shoo the smoke out the kitchen window, which was rising from the oven. The counter was covered in flour and other miscellaneous ingredients, while the stove had small splatters of what appeared to be pancake batter. On a plate near the stove were a few misshapen pancakes and slightly browned scrambled eggs. Madara looked pissed while Hashirama looked sheepish. When they heard Sasuke enter, both of their faces turned. Madara looked even more displeased while Hashirama grew a new shade of red in embarrassment.

The teen gave a light sigh, running a hand over his face in annoyance as Hashirama gave a light laugh at his own actions "Sorry about the mess, Madara and I haven't cooked in a while so I guess we forgot a few things along the way. Here we were trying to make a nice breakfast and all we did was make a mess. So much for that, I suppose." he chuckled. Madara glared at his old friend as he spoke, the smoke finally clearing out.

Sasuke said nothing for a few seconds before shaking his head back and forth, "You two are helpless. Just clean it up and forget it." he moved a hand to massage his temple and hopefully ease an oncoming headache. He headed back to his room to change into his pajamas, silently cursing Indra and Asura for sending the two. Why they thought it was a good idea to send two adults who acted like children to guide him was beyond him. It was a bit hard to process it really, he noted, as he slid a shirt on.

Hashirama seemed much less powerful and intimidating than everyone made him out to be, in fact, he was more humorous and playful than anything from what he had seen. It was true that when he had been trapped last night by Madara and him he had been radiating power, but it just didn't seem to fit his cheerful attitude. As for Madara, he seemed a lot less hostile towards Hashirama than one would be lead to believe based just on all that had happened. Sasuke didn't see how someone could be trying to kill someone one minute only to make pleasant conversation with them the next.

Once he was finished changing he headed out to the kitchen to see Madara grumbling and washing the counter off while Hashirama dealt with scrapping the food into the trash. Sasuke moved to pull a dark blue apron that hung on the wall. He wasn't about to ruin his clothes after all. He moved to get a few bowls down and within thirty minutes there were three bowls of Miso Shiru on the counter. Sasuke picked his up and headed to go sit in the dining room by himself, eating quickly. Hashirama was the first to finish his work and went to sit by Sasuke in the dining room despite the teen's grunt of disapproval.

Hashirama ate, but spoke in between bites, "So, you're a fresh Genin you said. Have you had any training sessions with your sensei yet?" he asked, wanting to smooth over any discomfort the boy would rightfully have. He watched as Sasuke only gave a curt nod in reply, eating his food quietly and not even looking over at Hashirama. The brunette prodded "So who is your sensei then?" he asked, knowing it would require a verbal response.

Slowly the teen thought for a moment before speaking "No one you would know." before thinking back to the research he had done over his sensei after finding out who he was. He then added "Kakashi Hatakaki. His sensei was Minato, the fourth Hokage before he died. And Minto-Sama's sensei one of the three sannin, Jiraiya. Jiraiya-Sama's sensei was Hiruzen, the third and current Hokage. Then Hiruzen-Sama's sensei was Tobirama. That's as far back as I could trace." he explained, figuring it wouldn't answer the question if he just gave some unknown man's name.

By then Madara had joined them, sitting in a chair beside the two and snorting "Tobirama, the bastard, let's hope he didn't teach his foolish grudge for Uchiha down to his students. Though I wouldn't be surprised if he did. He was always trying to inconvenience us in any way possible." ignoring the warning look he received from Hashirama as he spoke.

Sasuke shook his head back and forth "I know about the others along the line, but I'm nearly certain Kakashi isn't hateful towards Uchiha. After all, he has a Sharingan." he noted. Seeing Hashirama and Madara's questioning looks he explained further "He's not an Uchiha, but he has one. I don't know how I think I heard an Uchiha gave it to him though. That's how he got the nickname 'The Copy Cat Ninja' from the village was by using the eye to copy jutsu. A lot of Uchiha hated him though when they were still alive." he explained.

Neither Hashirama or Madara were able to understand how this could come to be, with how proud the Uchiha were of their eyes, but didn't note it as they had no proof. Soon they all finished eating and Sasuke stood, heading for the door as he spoke "Don't blow anything else up while I'm gone for training." the door shutting behind him as he didn't even wait for a response.

Madara's eyebrow twitched ever so slightly, "That damn brat. We are two legendary ninjas, who could easily kill or torture him in millions of different styles if we wanted to. He could at least pretend to show some respect or recognition. What happened to the nervous wreck from last night?" he asked. It wasn't that he wanted to be feared or anything, but Sasuke didn't need to speak to them as if they were idiots.

Hashirama shook his head back and forth in amusement at this "He's an Uchiha. You know how you all are. Egos the size of a tailed beast." he smirked at his friend. He asked with a rub of his neck "He said Hiruzen was the current Hokage. I wonder how old he must have grown by now. It'll be odd seeing the little squirt my brother taught growing up. And yes, we will be going to see him or dragging him here. We can't just sit in the house day by day until it's decided Sasuke and Itachi will be fine. We'll go insane. We need his help to immigrate us into the current world since we can't use our real papers for things since they say we were born over fifty years ago. And hopefully, Hiruzen will recognize us." he formulated the plot in his head.

Madara nodded slightly "Well we definitely can't stay in here all the time."

Sasuke soon arrived at training, to find Sakura and Naruto already waiting. They were arguing. Big surprise. He came into their view and he quickly realized it was him they were arguing about when Naruto smirked, "See Sakura, he's not hurt he probably just slept in like the lazy ass he is." the blonde grinned and pointed at the Uchiha accusingly. Sasuke felt his brow twitch at the comment but he said nothing, Sakura beating him to it.

Or more specifically beating Naruto. She knocked him over the head with her fist, a vein popping up on her forehead as she scolded him "Sasuke is allowed to sleep in if he wants to every once and a while, he's here every day way before either of us! You leave him alone!" crossing her arms over her chest. Sasuke assumed this was her attempt at impressing him or trying to win him over.

Honestly, Sasuke was just about done with all this stalking and cooing from the girls. He couldn't help but be annoyed by it. He wasn't interested in dating anyone at the moment, the majority of his time going into training for the upcoming battle with his brother and the rest going to the part-time job he had picked up so he had extra cash for books or training material (The monthly allowance was not big enough for his house and for him to maintain his healthy eating habits that he frankly didn't want to quit just to save a few bucks and be a bum like Naruto).

He didn't have any interest in dating any guys or girls at the moment. He knew that while other teenagers were questioning their sexuality he was questioning his preference of throwing needles or Kuni. He also knew that it probably wasn't normal, but pushed that aside. He had joined the ninja academy not only in hopes of becoming a ninja but also in hopes of escaping the annoying civilian girls. Only to find out he had a whole other side to his fan club that he hadn't even known about- the ninja girls. One would think they would be too busy training or studying, but apparently not.

He was pulled out of his thoughts as their sensei appeared with a smile behind the mask, "Good morning. Sorry, I'm late, I got lost on the path of life." earning him a few eye rolls. Kakashi had his book in his hand as usual, but he snapped it shut as he spoke "We have our first mission today. Here's the briefing on it. D rank. It's down near the center of the village. An elderly man wants his boot collection cleaned off. He is an Ex-Ninja who fought in the last great shinobi war. So with this in mind, do not react if he criticizes your guy's abilities. He is experienced and you need to learn to deal with difficult clients as well not reacting or getting into an argument with them." giving Naruto a pointed look "Your assignment is to do as he has paid for. Your opinions are of no importance in this case."

Sasuke nodded firmly, knowing this was a necessary annoyance. If they couldn't handle a criticizing elderly man, how could they ever hope to be allowed to go on missions where the clients would be important or wealthy men and women. Loose or aggressive speech in return could very well upset the customer and lead to the village getting a bad reputation. With this in mind, Sasuke was willing to press on through whatever insults might come his or his team's way.

Naruto gave an annoyed look at this as he grumbled "I can't believe we have to go to some old geezers house and clean his shoe collection while being yelled at. This is stupid. I'm better than this, I'm going to be the Hokage one day. I'll be Hokage, with a reputation of shining shoes for grumpy old men." he ranted slightly. Kakashi watched him but didn't comment, knowing Sakura would give it to him.

Sure enough, Sakura quickly scolded him "Naruto! I know you slept through most of the lessons but even you should know better than that. You never insult the client, it'll only lead to your abilities as a ninja being questioned and reports against our team!" which lead to an argument between the two on what shinning shoes had to do with being a ninja at all.

It was going to be a long, long, long mission. That was one thing Sasuke and Kakashi both knew.

Indeed, the moment they stepped onto the property the man made it quite clear he wouldn't be pulling any punches. Sasuke half wondered if the man was hired just to test their patience. They set up an assembly line so that it would get done fastest. Sakura rinses the many layers of mud off, Naruto dried them, and Sasuke shined them before setting them off to the side. Kakashi leaned on a wall reading and watching. The number of boots the man had was unbelievable.

"So, this is the team I've been sent. Was my request that unimportant that they sent me the reject team." the old man started with, sounding a bit grouchy. He pointed to each of them as he spoke "Let's see, the White Fang's poor excuse of a son, the reject Uzumaki with blonde hair, the Uchiha not worth killing, and the one I don't even recognize. Seriously, you must be pretty damn unimportant if I don't recognize you." taking a chug of his drink.

Kakashi didn't blink an eye at the insults, knowing full well what he was asking for when he accepted the mission from the Hokage, which all the other sensei's had turned down quickly. After all, everyone knew how old man Kirai, one of the meanest men in the village, had no filter. He only looked up slightly when hearing the insults, and that was only to check his student's reactions. The entire reason he agreed to the mission.

Sakura had winced slightly at the comment and looked down sadly continuing her work, like a sad puppy though Kakashi could see in her eyes she was ready to knock his block off for speaking like that about her and for misspeaking Sasuke. She gave a slightly puzzled look at the poke at the blonde, however, probably because she didn't know much about him. She didn't seem to comprehend the poke at Sasuke either. So it seemed even with all her stalking she didn't know, that or her lack of empathy was showing.

Naruto clenched his teeth to stop from resorting back, his eyes flaring up but the only real response to the old man being him drying the shoes off slightly more aggressively. He was too engrossed with being angry at the man to even bat an eye at what the other two's jab had been.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes ever so slightly but took in a calm breath to keep himself in check. He gently shinned the shoes, though speeding up ever so slightly, probably in the hopes that they would be able to leave sooner if they got finished quicker. Sasuke glanced up at his team, curious to see how we were handling it. Seeing as the silver-haired male gave no reaction, neither did Sasuke. He blocked out what the man had said about all of them, not responding in any way or showing any reaction as that was most likely what the man was after.

The man was unsatisfied with the lack of responses and leaned back in the chair "Aw, did I hurt the precious little flower feelings? And It looks like I made her little boyfriend mad. But at least her boyfriend isn't a psychopath like the other two. I can see it now. It'll be the White Fang incident all over again. Not to mention we'll probably have an encore of the massacre, after all, the monster runs through the bloodstream of not just one of you rejects if you know what I mean." he smirked "Damn, I bet your parents must be so ashamed both their children are growing up as emotionless monsters. I wouldn't be surprised if you're working with your brother to plan the downfall of this village." he gave a wicked grin.

Much to Sakura and Kakashi's surprise, it wasn't Naruto to burst into full-on fight mode first. Technically neither did Sasuke, but he definitely responded to the verbal battle. Sasuke kept a monotone voice as he cleaned the last pair of shoes "Perhaps you're right, Kirai-Sama." he smiled all to wolfishly "Perhaps I will give an encore one day for him. Don't worry, I'll make sure you get a front-row seat." he threated and stood up, leaving Kakashi with a raised eyebrow at the teen and Sakura and Naruto with their mouths hanging open. Naruto silently cursed as Sasuke left the house, hands in pockets. He had managed to keep his mouth shut for the entire time only for Sasuke to be the one to lose his temper. Damn bastard.


	6. Day One: Success?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the end of this chapter, when it mentions the dramatics of most teen girls, I mean no offense. I am one myself, so I would know. Some of them can be taxing. I know this doesn't apply to every girl.

As Sasuke headed downtown he had his hands fit tightly in his pockets. He knew that they had to give their mission report to the Hokage, but he figured Kakashi would handle that. If not, at the very least, he knew Sakura wouldn't finish her mission off as anything less than perfect so she could handle all, it was only a D rank mission. Looking at the time, it was only about 10:00 am.

He had woken up at 4:00 am and hadn't left the house until 6:00 am, with the breakfast catastrophe. It would normally have taken him about half an hour to get to the training grounds but since he hadn't really rushed due to already being late he arrived around 7:00 am. By the time Kakashi showed up it was 8:00 am. Take into account it took thirty minutes to get to the old man's house, and it had really been a long hour and a half in the house, Sasuke was ready to sit down and relax a bit before work.

He sat down at a food venue, ordering some corn nuggets to snack on. He had until 12:00 noon to get to work, so he had some time to kill. Normally he would be training until 9:40, so this was some extra time. He glanced to his side as he heard someone greet him and sit on the barstool beside his. "Hello, Sasuke." Neji greeted with a light bow. Sasuke returned it with a bow of his own and nod in confirmation he had heard him. Neji asked "I'm presuming your team finished their assigned mission for the day. That is good, and I hope it went well. My team had one to do as well. Cleaning up the central park. What was your mission?" he questioned casually while ordering a bowl of soba.

Sasuke nodded slightly, reflexively straightening his back as he spoke to the Hyuuga prodigy yet somehow relaxing at the same time. He explained "We had to go to a client's house and polish his boot collection." he left it to the basics, deciding against mentioning how the man had been prodding at their limits the whole time. He wiped his mouth off on his sleeve and asked "How's it been training under Gai-Sensei? I hear you got placed on a team with that girl TenTen and Lee."

"That is correct. I was placed with TenTen and Lee. TenTen is a weapons specialist and Lee focuses on taijutsu. He wishes to show that you do not need Ninjutsu or Genjutsu to be a good ninja. He also has a tendency to challenge me to fights, claiming his hard work will defeat my natural power." he shook his head back and forth disapprovingly.

Sasuke swallowed his food as he noted "This is what is wrong with those who are born with less power than a typical ninja. They feel as though everything we gain was from birth privilege alone. They believe they are the only ones who have ever had to work for what they have. They speak as though anyone born with skills has been given a pass on having to train. They do not understand that natural skills need to be sharped just as much if not more than learned skills."

He could see Neji nod in agreeance with him, and he knew that the Hyuuga prodigy knew what he meant. Neji asked "You have Naruto and Sakura on your team with Kakashi as your sensei, correct? What is it like being taught by the great copy cat ninja? I would imagine it's strange to have someone with your clan's Kekki Genkai leading you after all these years."

Neji was sure to keep his tone careful and calm, making sure not to directly speak about the Uchiha Massacre since he understood how easy it was for anger to boil up inside when others spoke about it so casually. To this day it still angered him a bit to hear his father's sacrifice being talked about so casually by others who knew nothing of the situation.

Sasuke nodded slightly at this "It was a bit odd to learn I would be taught by the one my clan has dispised for so long. Though it isn't too hard to forget seeing as he has his eye covered by his headband. He is a strong teacher. I am glad to be training under him, even before we officially started and were being tested he seemed to be teaching us. I don't know how the other sensei tested out the other graduates, but he had us go after a pair of bells. Our thoughts immediately went to free for all, but by the end of it, that changed. I've never been one to work with other ninjas, but this exercise forced us to. He has an odd way of teaching, but it makes you think."

The two continued to make idle conversation until it was just before noon and Sasuke excused himself, saying he had somewhere he needed to be soon. He wasn't particularly hiding the job, it was just that he would rather the word not get out so his fangirls would show up to flirt where he was cornered and so a couple of guys who had begun to dislike him didn't show up to bother him. The guys were mostly either jealous of his ninja skills or that their crush liked Sasuke, but oh well. There wasn't much Sasuke could do about it.

T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K

As he made his way into "SwordSheild", the local weapon and armor shop, he quickly slid into the back where he worked. He pulled his work apron on and checked in with his boss so he was accounted for the day. He headed to his area in the back where he worked on shinning the weapons or occasionally the armor piece. The shop sold everything from throwing needles to scrolls to summon weapons, so for obvious reasons it was a popular shop.

With the town being made up of a majority of ninja, it had mostly ninja or shop owners as the customer. After all, the weapons that were used every day had to come from somewhere. The shop being so popular, obviously, it had higher prices to keep up with all the demands. As such, most academy students or genin wouldn't have the cash to shop at the store besides on special occasions or if their parents took them to go shopping. This made it the perfect place for Sasuke to work- no one to spot him and it gave him discounts on his purchases. Not to mention it helped keep him used to handling all sorts of weapons. So far throwing needles and swords were his favorite. Though the demand for swords was low.

He had actually known that TenTen was a weapons specialist due to seeing her in the shop quite a bit. She was always ordering new or unusual weapons, much to the smither's appreciation as it kept the orders interesting. Sasuke had actually ended up speaking to her one day as he had been placed on the counter since the normal employee who took care of it had caught a bad flu. He had never spoken with her prior, but she seemed nice enough when they spoke.

\-----Flash Back-----

Sasuke had remained stiff and calm as he welcomed her in. His voice was his normal monotone with a hint of seriousness as he spoke "Welcome to Sword and Shield. How may I help you?" his eyes focusing in on hers and his lips formed into a tight frown despite the warm words he was told to give to anyone entering. He could see her momentary surprise as she saw him, which had quickly faded into a thin smile. 

He half wondered if she was about to start harassing him as he had been wary of. He had never seen her going after him in a romantic way before, unlike most of the girls. He had even begun to admire her skills as a weapon's handler after seeing her work with them during class. He was glad however that his previous image of her was not shattered as she headed up to the counter, nodding. "I would like to place an order in for thirty concealed mouth embers and forty exploding pouches," she explained, pulling out her wallet to pay.

Sasuke nodded and quickly slide a pair of forms for her to fill out while doing the math in his head quickly. He looked up from his thoughts and gave her the price of the weapons she was ordering. "That will be 6608 Yen". As she slid over the money Sasuke noted the other reason she was always a welcome customer- the fact that she paid well for her many purchases and never had to take out a loan to do so. As the money was passed over so were the forms. He took them up and slid them into the order pile, asking "Will that be all?"

She smiled at this and nodded "Yes, that's all I need Uchiha-kun." she assured "Though, I didn't know you worked here. I come here all the time, are you new or something like that?" she asked with a crooked head. She had been to the store many times, yet never seen him once before. She hadn't really known him outside of school either though so it wasn't too shocking she wouldn't know where he worked. By the looks of the place, not many did. Otherwise, it would be run over with his fangirls.

It was a calm reply Sasuke gave, seeing as she didn't seem too pushy or over flirty about it like most girls would, "I usually work in the back on keeping orders fresh until the buyers come to collect. You wouldn't have seen me, I'm only upfront today because the normal clerk is out today with the flu. It doesn't happen often." he explained while placing the cash into the lockbox under the counter.

TenTen nodded in understanding "Well, that's pretty cool that you get to work at the weapons shop. I was thinking of applying, but with the graduation exam coming up so soon I didn't want to stretch myself too thin." eyes flickering over to meet his darker ones "Don't worry, by the way, I won't go spreading where you work around. It would kill the shop's atmosphere to have a bunch of your fangirls in here." she joked with a smile at him, which he returned with a simple 'thank you'. 

\-----Flash Back End-----

The two had made idle talk whenever she came in or was waiting on an order since. Wiping these thoughts away as he heard the smither's voice "Hey kid, your shift ended fifteen minutes ago. You should probably get going, it'll be dark soon. Even if you are now officially a ninja you shouldn't be out after dark. It isn't safe for someone your age." just as Sasuke was about to offer to help lock up first, the man gave a grin "Don't worry about it. I'll lock up." much to the teen's relief. He set the kunai he had been cleaning down and stood up, suddenly realizing how stiff and tired he was.

He headed out of the shop after confirming his leave, offering the smither- Meiyo Sentōki- a slight wave as he left. The man wasn't particularly a friend of Sasuke's, but he was someone he had grown close to in the work environment. He was an elderly man, about fifty-eight, with waist-long gray hair and a well-shaped beard to match. He had dark green eyes, and was fairly tall but muscular. Sasuke never met with him outside of shop, but when they were in they normally sat in a calming silence. That, or he would be speaking about something and Sasuke would listen since he had nothing better to do.

Meiyo had saved Sasuke quite a few times when it came to little things. Whether it was offering him a bit of his food when he had occasionally forgotten to eat before he came or him deciding he could postpone his word for a bit when he saw the teen was having a headache from the banging of the hammer to the metal. Sasuke was grateful for the man's actions, even if he didn't normally show it. Sasuke assumed the man helped him due to the fact he had a few children or grandchildren himself. But who knew.

T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K

By the time Sasuke left it was 5:30 pm. He normally would be off at 5:00, but staying a bit after and clocking out took time. It got dark around 8:00 pm, so he figured he would have enough time to stop and get some groceries. He was running low and was sure he would need more since Madara and Hashirama must have eaten something while he was gone. He half wondered if he should have warned them he would be gone all day since he had only said he would be gone for training, but quickly dismissed this. It wasn't like they would be waiting up on him. They would most likely be asleep when he returned, Sasuke reasoned with himself.

He stopped by a few street venues, slightly fast-paced since he didn't want them to close up before he got everything. He stopped at the spice venue and bought a few spices and seasonings he would need for most of the dinners he made. He decided he would most likely be making fewer sandwiches or single-serving foods since that would be expensive. It was alright if he was only serving himself a tomato sandwich, but add two more people into the equation and that was three afternoons worth of food gone in one sitting.

Soups would be good for multi servings, and maybe some panned dishes. He kept this in mind as he shopped, sure to check and make sure he got the correct change back each time he paid more than it cost. The teen was finished by 6:00 pm and was now sporting about five bags on each arm as he walked down the street towards the exit to the main village and towards the Uchiha compound.

He was stopped halfway through by a meeting with Hiruzen. He had been walking down the road towards the compound when the elderly man with a pipe resting carefully at his lips had stopped. Sasuke stopped too, assuming that he had something to say if he stopped in the middle of the road, just outside the compound. It was 6:30 by now, and the sky was beginning to darken. Sasuke gave a slight bow of his head as the third said nothing, hoping to speed up the conversation so he could get home before dark. "Hello, Hokage-Sama." he greeted.

Hiruzen took a breath and drew the item from his lips with one hand, the other firmly placed behind him as he greeted the Uchiha boy "Hello, Sasuke. I read the mission report today. Normally I wouldn't bother coming all the way out here to comment on it but I believe it is something that needs to be addressed." he calmly replied with his normal sharp eyes. "I read that the man had been antagonizing you all for quite a while, which I expected and I know Kakashi was expecting, but what we did not foresee was you snapping at him as you did."

Sasuke resisted the urge to say he was right to give the man a response like he did, but stayed quiet as he knew he was in the wrong for doing that in political terms. He had to firmly keep his mouth closed however in silent aggravation at being reprimanded by the man. When he was younger with his mother or father, he would get angry at them for 'hating him' when they scolded him. He only realized after they were gone that it was an act of love to keep him safe from future disasters. Now, he couldn't help but find himself aggravated at the person scolding him for the exact opposite reasons. Now it felt as though they were pretending to care.

"You are the last of your clan. You know this just as well as everyone else does." Hiruzen spoke, using the same tone he did when he spoke to Naruto over who his parents were. The annoyingly calm and unworried tone, that didn't match such a serious topic. "As the last of your clan, you must know by now that all you do comes back as its final image. I wouldn't imagine you wishing your clan to be remembered as hot-headed shinobi who don't care for the village at all. Remember this." he spoke to the teen, before continuing on down the road at a slow and calm pace.

Sasuke had to calm his emotions, which thankfully wasn't too difficult as he was practiced. He didn't bother giving a proper goodbye as he headed into the compound.

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Sasuke headed down the streets for a few moments, glad he had at least made it back by dark. It was now dusk, at about 7:00 pm. He was startled as he opened the door and immediately saw Hashirama and Madara's heads shoot up towards the doorway. Madara remained where he was, sitting on the couch. He sat down the book he had been reading- one Sasuke assumed was from the library- in preference to looking over at the teen with raised brows and a serious expression. Hashirama, on the other hand, sat up quickly from his spot beside Madara where he had been watching television. He turned it off, looking at Sasuke with a serious expression and raised brows.

The youngest of the three just stood there a moment, not seeing why he was being stared at as if he had grown three heads. He eventually settled for raising a brow at them and returning their expressions, shutting the door behind him and going towards the kitchen as he spoke in an irritated voice "What?" beginning to put away some of the groceries as he spoke, apparently not seeing anything wrong with leaving the house at 6:00 am and not returning until 7:00 pm. But then it was to be expected, not having anyone waiting up on him for about eight years, why would he ever need to rush home anyway?

Madara leaned on the counter with crossed arms, watching the teen move. He knew logically that the teen had probably only been out doing some errands or hanging out with some friends after training, but then another part of him had begun to worry the younger Uchiha had been harmed. He just couldn't prevent it- older brother instincts had kicked in for him just as they had for Hashirama. Hashirama asked, perplexed, "What do you mean what! I thought you were going out for training, training doesn't take fourteen hours, Sasuke. You could have given us some warning you wouldn't be back until dark, how would we know you didn't get hurt, or kidnapped, or killed-"

He was only cut off by an annoyed Sasuke, who slammed a carton of milk down in the fridge as he spoke "And so what if I was hurt, kidnapped, or killed? It would be none of your business and a quick finish to half of your mission. So don't you dare start that bull shit with me." moving to slam the fridge as he put the bags under the sink to reuse later. Once again, the same anger that filled him earlier when he was being reprimanded by Hiruzen filled him. The same sense of 'how dare you pretend to care'.

In a flash, Madara was to Hashirama's side and had it been any other situation, the brunette would have teased him about it. "Sasuke-" he began to warn, but in a flash, Sasuke was leaving the room to head towards the bathroom for a shower and to escape anything else the two might have to say. On one hand, he felt a sense of guilt knowing they really weren't seeing it from the same perspective as he was, but on another, he didn't really care. The day's many failures had piled up, and he was done being in people's presence.

All Madara could do was sigh in aggravation, while Hashirama tried to comfort him "Hey, no worries 'dara, my daughter was like this when she was a teenager too. Just be grateful he's not a girl, they're much more difficult to deal with." he chuckled, which made Madara nod slightly with a thin smirk of agreeance.


	7. Weapons

Sasuke had gone straight to bed after his shower, changing into a pair of Pajamas just as yesterday. He hadn't eaten anything since the corn nuggets around noon, but he wasn't too hungry after the confrontation with Madara and Hashirama. He wasn't sure whether to be angry at them or feel like a brat. On one hand, they spoke to him as though they honestly had been worried, and this did make Sasuke feel an odd sense of happiness and guilt. On the other hand, however, he couldn't help but be angry at them for acting like they were so superior, even if they technically were on many levels.

He had blocked these thoughts out however, not liking the unusual strain on his emotions. Normally there was nothing to trigger let alone strain his emotions. But that day seemed to be a different story. He could only hope that every day wouldn't be like it had been that day. The only exception to this being on the anniversary week of the Uchiha Massacre, which as he thought about it, was coming up not too long from now. The very thought made him groan internally.

He didn't become an emotional wreck or anything like that, but it did fill him with a sense of intense despair and guilt. Logically he knew that there was no way he could have been strong enough at his age to take on Itachi, especially after just returning from a full day of training and while Itachi's veins were pumping with adrenaline. But then when his heart came into play... all he could do was feel small next to his brother's power. He sarcastically cheered in his head. Had to love the curse of an Uchiha's emotions.

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Sasuke got up the next morning and was glad at least that he didn't smell any food burning. He switched into his clothes for the day, sliding on his headband and tying it tightly. He headed out of his room to find Madara nor Hashirama in the kitchen or dining room. He dismissed this and began cooking some breakfast, deciding on a simple pot of cinnamon-flavored oats. He made three bowls, setting the other two in the microwave for the others when they woke up.

He sat at his normal spot in the dining room and ate his breakfast, doing so quietly. He washed his bowl out and placed it in the sink afterward. Sasuke soon enough headed outside, sliding his shoes on at the front entrance and heading out to training. Unlike yesterday he arrived at his normal time, 5:00 am. Since he woke up at 4:00 am every day and he took half an hour for breakfast and half an hour to get there, his days were normally like clockwork. Probably yet another reason the appearance of Madara and Hashirama was so stressful for him- it interfered with his schedule.

He waited for a bit until the others arrived- first Sakura and then Naruto. Naruto arrived just after when they were supposed to meet, not that it mattered since Kakashi was always a few hours late if they didn't have training. Sasuke saw the silver-haired Jonin appear after not too long, waving a hand "Hello everyone." he greeted lazily, his eyes drifting over them all and stopping to look at Sasuke who was leaning on a nearby tree with his arms crossed over each other. His student met his gaze, easily holding it with a silent grudge which he decided to ignore. He flipped a page in his book as he explained "Today we will be practicing using weapons. I've decided against bringing them, and instead today we will be visiting the weapons shop so you all can decide on your own permanent weapon. You have 8900 yen each to spend."

At this Naruto leap up from his spot on the ground where he had been grumbling about Kakashi being late, his expression changed to one of pure excitement "Hell yeah, let's go!" he cheered, Sakura giving a similarly happy look but much calmer. Sasuke only sighed lightly, hoping this could be done and over with fast so no one would point out he worked there. Though, he had to admit he was pleasantly surprised at this. He had been a bit short on cash lately so he hadn't been out to buy himself a new weapon in quite some time. Perhaps this was his chance to get the sword he had been eyeing for some time.

They all soon headed out towards the shop, Kakashi seeming to enjoy the reactions of his student as he chuckled lightly. Upon arriving at the store they quickly split up, Naruto going over towards the chakra powered weapons and Sakura going towards the genjutsu weapons area. Both seemed to look around a bit Kakashi noticed, while Sasuke made a quiet beeline to look at the swords. What Kakashi found interesting however was that Sasuke didn't seem to look around the sword section before finding one he liked. This leads the jonin to assume the teen had been a viewer at the shop for quite some time.

The sword Sasuke stopped by was a decently sized one, it wasn't too large but it wasn't too small. It was made for someone probably a little older than him, but Sasuke felt he would be able to handle it after he got used to it. It was a beautiful sword, really. It was a silver color as would be expected, the metal narrow and not too long. It had a good solid black handle, one that fit Sasuke's hands nicely as he moved it around to get a feel for it. He finally finished his look over and headed over to Kakashi, silently letting him see the sword he had chose. It was 8000 yen, just under the mark.

Naruto soon came over with his weapon, an elemental pair of gloves that allows the user to bring forth many kunai at the expense of a lot of chakras. They cost 7000 yen. Sakura brought over a pair of chakra blades, ones similar to what she had seen Asuma-sensei using. They were only 4000 yen. Naruto was the first one to speak, laughing wholeheartedly as he pointed over at Sasuke "Bastard, who would you want to bring a huge chunky weapon like that into a battle?"

Defensively, Sasuke glared coldly at him "At least I picked a real weapon instead of playing dress-up." pointing his head over to the gloves Naruto was holding. Just as he was about to resort back Kakashi lifted a hand lazily to interrupt the two. They both looked over at him as he did so, not sure why he was interrupting them as normally he would let them squabble all they wanted.

Kakashi glanced at the two to make sure he had their full attention. "Now, before I buy these. I want you all to make sure you'll really be comfortable using them." his tone serious for once "Sakura, can you handle slicing past someone's flesh and having their blood leak onto your hands. Will you be able to stomach cleaning them?" he asked seriously. She seemed to think for a long hard moment, before nodding hesitantly.

The jonin nodded and turned his attention to Naruto "Naruto, can you handle using that much chakra, or will you become a liability in battle? I realize you don't normally have to deal with low chakra, but with these, you will need to. Are you absolutely sure you can do that?" he asked and was satisfied with the teen's excited nod, which helps little to no doubt. Finally, he turned his sights to his most skilled student. Sasuke.

"Sasuke, are you sure you'll be able to use that sword when it comes time to fight? That is a final blow weapon at most times. You will undoubtedly need to use that weapon to kill. You will all kill eventually, or be killed." his voice was calm and sober "With a weapon like that, when you kill, you will have to remove the weapon from the body. Will you be able to handle ripping it out of another person, and seeing the life drain from their eyes?" focusing on Sasuke, all casualty gone from his voice.

Naruto and Sakura were looking over at Sasuke too now, realizing what their sensei was saying. Sasuke had to think about it for a moment. Would he really be able to use a weapon like that one day? Would he be able to end someone's life like that? He closed his eyes halfway, just as his brother had always done when thinking. He nodded slightly, reasoning with himself that the people he fought would die anyway. With a sword, at least he could make it fast.

After getting confirmation from his students, Kakashi stepped up to the counter. The mood immediately lifted as the counter worker waved at them brightly "Hello Kakashi, long time no see. Ah, bringing two new rugrats into the world of weaponry I see. And Sasuke! What's up, man. I didn't know you were on Kakashi's team." he smiled before moving onto business "Now, that'll be 19000 yen plus tax. Oh wait, let me put in Sasuke's discount, alright that's 17000 yen." he corrected.

Naruto asked nosily "Why does bastard get a discount?" looking up at the man curiously. Kakashi sighed at Naruto's cursing, rubbing his template as he heard the cashier give a confused noise. Just as Kakashi was about to tell him it didn't concern him seeing as he wasn't the one paying anyway, Sasuke beat him to it.

"It doesn't matter why I have a discount, you aren't the one paying dobe. It's none of your business either. But if you really must know then it's because I come here so much." sending the baffled cashier a silencing look. Naruto seemed to let it go lucky enough, allowing Kakashi to pay and for them to receive their weapons. They soon headed out, Sasuke sending a slight shrug over to the counter worker's expression as he left.

Sasuke and the other students headed down the street as Kakashi spoke, now reading his book once more "You all are allowed to take them where you please, but do not use them in battle until you have received full training unless absolutely necessary. Train in your free time if you wish, but do not play with them. They are not toys." giving Naruto a glance as he spoke.

"Based on your weapons, I have an idea for each of you on who will train you." he explained casually, disregarding his students' confused faces "As a jonin, I am still required to take part in missions. Having my own squad does not pause my responsibilities. So I have a mission coming up soon. I should be gone for a week or two. You all will submit to the sensei's I have chosen to ask until then. For Sakura, I'm thinking Asuma-sensei since he has the exact same weapon. For Naruto, there is a man named Jiraiya I believe it would teach you proper chakra control so you don't waste energy using them. For Sasuke, a woman named Anko Mitarashi might be willing to teach you. She is one of the only people in the village with kenjutsu training. I'll have to ask, however." not giving them any time to reply before leaping off in another direction.

Naruto grumbled "He's so lazy, he gets a teaching job only to shove us off onto someone else-" Sakura looking like she agreed but was about to reprimand him anyway for the sake of politeness. Sasuke didn't bother standing around to listen. He launched off in another direction just as Kakashi had done only a minute before. He headed home, seeing as he didn't have work today. He was only allowed to work part-time and a max of four out of seven days due to child labor law restrictions that the third Hokage had put in. Funny, they could kill off enemy ninja by the age nine but they couldn't work a counter job or buy alcohol until they were 18 and 20. Logical.

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He ended up home at around 10:00 am, noting begrudgingly that he had been jipped out of training once again by his Sensei. He wondered if the man even wanted to be a sensei half the time. Sasuke glanced around and once again didn't see Madara or Hashirama. He ended up quietly heading upstairs, only to find Madara in the library and Hashirama still asleep. He sighed lightly. Lazy bastards.

As he began heading downstairs quickly, he headed to the training room. He pulled out his sword from its cover, deciding to swing it around a few times to test it. After all, he didn't want to look like a total moron in front of this 'Anko' woman Kakashi had said he would be trained by for the next week or two. He first, however, got to the floor or the training room, stretching himself out so he didn't pull any muscles. He did a few stretches to stretch out his arms and then legs, before closing the door to the training room just in case.

He wasn't sure why, he knew he was far stronger than most shinobi his age, but he found himself wanting to make sure neither Madara or Hashirama saw him training. He knew it was unlogical to compare himself to them, but that didn't help the worry he would look incompetent in front of either of them. He quickly shook these thoughts away as he reminded himself that it didn't matter what they thought of him, returning to focusing on training.

First, he lifted the sword, focusing on the motions themselves before worrying over any techniques. He moved his foot forward, making a straight swinging motion up and down slowly. Each time he did this however, he did it a bit faster. Then he switched off too doing it side to side. At first, it felt a bit awkward to bend his arms sideways, but eventually, he got used to it. Sasuke soon fell into a rhythm with it, slicing once up and down then once side to side.

He sliced through the air swiftly, eventually doing it with little effort. Though, when his body caught up to his mind, he began to tire. His arms felt heavy like the bones were ready to give out at any minute. His legs too began to tire, the sweat from this all building up over his face. He kept on, however, knowing this point in the workout where the body was most tired, was the most important part when it came to building muscles for weapon use.

Apparently, however, Sasuke went for too long, as his mind slipped momentarily to think about how tired he was, and he sent the sword down too far. It sliced into his left thigh, not far enough to hit bone but far enough that the edge of the blade was left wedged slightly into his flesh. Perhaps he should halve left the cover on while he practiced or waited for his real training. A light whimper like grunt left his body, and he stood there staring at his leg which now had a sword stuck in its outer layer. He choked back a growl, eyes glossing over. Fuck, that hurt. He held the hilt, clenching his eyes and ready to remove it when the training room door opened swiftly. Quickly his face turned a vibrant shade of red.

Hashirama was standing in the doorway, looking as though he had rushed down. Madara was behind him, looking over his shoulder at the teen, both trying to get a take on the situation. It didn't take long however as it was fairly obvious the teen had only been training and hurt himself. Madara had previously been in the library, reading a book. He had only stopped when he heard Sasuke's feet nearly silently shuffling up the stairs. His hearing was incredibly good, and adding in the slight echo of the empty house, he had been able to hear the swish of a blade and assumed it was simply training. He had gotten up to check when he heard it waver and stop suddenly.

He had been walking down the hall when Hashirama had speed-walked past him. When questioned, the recently sleeping ninja had only said he felt distressed chakra and it had woken him up. Hence how the two ended up darting downstairs within a minute of the injury; not even allowing Sasuke time to remove the blade. They had previously been staying out of the main house, hoping to let the teen's temper cool. However, with his hurt, they didn't feel comfortable just sitting around.

Slowly, Madara went behind Sasuke and took hold of his shoulders, but before he could comment, Hashirama kneeling in front of him with the first aid and looking over his wound. Sasuke stiffed as his shoulders were held, successfully keeping him still. He watched as Hashirama took the blade, pulling it out in one quick go. Sasuke made a growlish whimper of discomfort, his gut sucking in as he felt the pain wave over him and his throat clench to hold back another growl. Hashirama had a gauze pressed against Sasuke's thigh, wrapping it around multiple times until it finally stopped bleeding.

The teen's breathing slowed down, signaling him calming down. It was odd, Sasuke noted, if he had been alone he probably would have just went to the drawer and wrapped it himself, ignoring the throbbing. He had no idea why he reacted with so much nervousness, but he guessed it was just he wasn't used to letting others take care of his wounds. As Madara let him go he relaxed his shoulders lightly. Once Hashirama finished wrapping his leg he relaxed that too, setting his foot down so he stood regularly, though shifting most of his weight to his right leg.

For the first time since the small argument last night, Hashirama spoke. "Are you alright?" looking over at the teen as he stood up. The only reply he got was a slight nod and mutter of thanks, the teen not looking directly at him as he was probably embarrassed. Madara reached up to lay a hand on the teen's head good-naturedly, which only served to make Sasuke give a startled noise before looking up at Madara with an almost meek look. It was an odd sight to see on the young Uchiha, one that only served to remind Madara more of Izuna when he was young.

Shifting the conversation Madara picked up the sword, glancing it over before speaking "So, I didn't see you rushing to gauze me up that fast when you stabbed me, 'Hashi" he smirked lightly at his old friend. It was odd, their relationship. One minute they're friends, only to turn to try to kill each other, the next they're making a village together, then they're back to killing each other, then they're taking care of some kid together.

Hahirama chuckled at him "Aw, is 'dara upset I didn't pay him enough attention?" lightly pulling at the others' cheek as he spoke. Madara glared at that, swatting his hand away and huffing. Both turned their attention to the sword, noticing how Sasuke looked both confused and disturbed by their display of affection. Hashirama took the sword from Madara and twisted it around a few times to look at it, asking "Where did you get this from anyway? Weren't you just saying yesterday you didn't have the cash to waste?" curious as to where it had come from.

"Kakashi gave us each about 8000 yen to spend at the weapons shop to find a weapon we liked. I got that one." was his simple answer "He's letting all of us pick a weapon to practice while he's away on a mission for a week or so. He said he's going to ask a few people to train us in our weapons since he didn't use any of the ones we picked. So I wanted to practice before I went to meet the woman who's going to be training me, 'Anko Mitarashi' I think he said." Sasuke explained.

Hashirama and Madara nodded lightly at this in understanding, Hashirama being the one to speak "That's thoughtful of him to spend his cash on you all. And to set up specific sensei to fill in while he's gone and train you in whatever weapon you want. Most would just shove you on another squad until they returned." Sasuke nodded slightly, now that he said it like that, it did sound like a lot of trouble for Kakashi. Maybe he wasn't so lazy after all.

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They ended up going to the kitchen soon after, it is around noon by now. Sasuke got some noodles from the cabinet, pouring them into a pot on the oven as he listened to the other two speakers from the connected dining room "So you're home early. Any special reason?" Madara asked, still wondering where the teen had been yesterday, but less out of annoyance and now out of curiosity.

Sasuke sturred the noodles as he spoke "I was on a mission yesterday for a few hours, stopped to get lunch and talk to a friend for a bit, went to work for a few hours, went to get groceries, and then headed home but got interrupted by the Hokage wanting to speak to me. So yesterday there were a bunch of annoying interruptions. Today I just had to go to meet up with my team. I don't have work today because of the child labor laws the third-placed preventing anyone under 18 from working full time or over four days a week. I just finished shopping so I didn't need to do that either." he went through the previous day in his head and relaying it out loud.

The two older ninjas raised their brows, Madara questioning "I didn't know you had a job. I thought you got a monthly allowance. And why would the third need to stop you to speak with you about something? Did something go wrong on your mission?" both starting to see why the younger ninja had been in such a foul mood the day prior.

"Yeah, I work at the local weapons and armor shop, keeping the weapons fresh looking. After all, no one is going to buy a set on kunai if they have dust all over them," he spoke in a matter-of-the-fact tone. He scowled at the second part, putting in some seasonings for the noodles "Yeah, we were cleaning some guys boot collection as a D-Rank mission but he kept nitpicking us. Which thinking about it afterward was probably Kakashi testing our tempers since he likes testing us lately. We all went in expecting Naruto to be the one to snap but I ended up doing it. But that man was asking for it. I don't care if I didn't get my cut from a mission with a client like that, he can keep his cash or someone else can deal with it."

Hashirama raised a brow, taking a sip of the tea he had poured them all a few minutes ago when Sasuke started dinner "I'm sure you don't mean that. You were having a bad day. Perhaps your mood took over and that's why you snapped. It happens sometimes Sasuke."

Quickly the teen continued on as he poured the noodles "No, I'm not over-exaggeration. He made fun of our sensei because his father is the son of The White Fang, a shinobi who instead of pressing on with a mission went to rescue his comrades. The mission was an information retrieving mission and the information could have stopped one of the great wars. He ended up being so mistreated that he ended things off permanently." voice quieting as he refused to say exactly what he did, but Hashirama and Madara got it, both looking grimly at the teen.

Sasuke continued "Then he started making fun of Naruto's hair color because nearly everyone else in his clan has red hair but he has blonde. He was making fun of Naruto's dead family. I don't like Naruto either, but it's just wrong to mock the parents of an orphan in front of him. Then he started making fun of Sakura because she has had a good life so far, calling her inadequate. So what if someone has had a good life, that doesn't mean they deserve to be treated like trash. Even if she lacks empathy, it's still twisted. Then he went on to talk about how I and Kakashi are psychopaths, and that I was probably working with my brother to bring the village down. If I was working to end the village why on earth would I be dealing with him, therefore helping the village economy? But yeah, he was saying one day I'd probably give an encore of the massacre so I said I would and that he would be the first one I came after."

The teen began quietly slowing down from his annoyed fast-paced rage as he spoke, handing them their bowls and sitting down. "So yeah, the Hokage doesn't like getting mission reports saying one of his ninjas threatened the life of a client or threats of mass murder. That was noted." he puffed a cheek out, something he hadn't done in years.

Madara and Hashirama couldn't believe this sort of thing was allowed- why would the Hokage let his ninja be verbally abused by clients? Not that they agreed Sasuke threatening mass murder was the best idea either. After a moment, however, Madara settled for laying an arm casually over Sasuke's shoulder "Don't worry about it. I'm sure everyone will get over it. You are right, it is wrong everything that the man said. Just try to keep your temper checked in, alright? That man is just looking to make people miserable. Don't give him the satisfaction."

This earned him a slight nod from Sasuke before they all finished up their dinner and soon after departed for bed. It was strange, how the two seemed to comfort him so easily. It almost scared him.


	8. Welcome Home, Nii-San

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not actually sure why Itachi's eyes bleed after using his Sharingan, but the explanation I put in this chapter was the best I could come up with after finding no canon answer. 
> 
> On another note, I will always question why Sasuke comes home to see his clan dead on the streets but still takes the time to slide off his shoes at the front door in one of the episodes. Like. His mother would be proud but dang???

Madara woke up the next morning to the front door being slammed shut. He slowly sat up, rubbing the back of his head and letting out a tired sigh. He knew Sasuke was used to living alone but was it really that much of a hassle to stay quiet in the mornings so they could sleep? He felt Hashirama shift beside him, signaling that he was awake too. Madara moved his legs so they fell to the side of the bed, allowing him to stand up groggily. He was not a morning person, to put it simply.

Hashirama, on the other hand, stood up at a much quicker pace, not rushing but not lagging behind either. The brunette stretched his arms in and back out as he spoke from the other side of the bed "Morning 'dara." he smiled thinly to his friend, moving to get out of the bed. Hashirama noted "We should probably start working on the plan. We need to have Sasuke taken care of. Napping and reading alone won't do us any good. Our bodies have had time to rest. It's time to get down to business." expression calm and serious.

The two began heading downstairs, Madara asking "But how are we going to do it? There are many ways to 'take care' of him as they put it. There's physically, emotionally, socially-" he listed them off, scratching his neck lightly as he pulled a pair of bowls out of the microwave. It looked like leftovers from the day before. He and Hashirama sat down, glancing over at each other for a brief moment.

The older of the two sighed lightly, taking a bit of his food as he spoke "It's too early for this." setting his spoon down in his bowl and running a hand over his shoulder "Honestly, I thought you Uchiha valued respect. Kids these days."

That was all it took for the mood of the room to immediately shift. Madara and Hashirama rebounded out of their chairs, landing a few feet away from the now smashed table. They both fell easily into a fighting stance, looking over at the man that now stood before them. Or they thought it was a man. They appeared to have fish-like gills, along with being light blue. They looked to be no older than nineteen.

The teen in question lifted his large wrapped sword up from where it lay, smashing through the middle of the table. He gave a sharp-toothed grin, and a voice appeared from behind Hashirama. Madara saw a teen behind Hashirama, one looking to be about sixteen with long black hair and inarguable red eyes. The teen, who Madara assumed was Itachi, spoke first of the two "Kisame, I told you to go after the one on the left." referring to Madara.

Now identified as Kisame, the older teen slung his sword over his shoulder "I don't remember agreeing to take your orders, Itachi. My sword was hungry to hit something. Besides, you say it like they'll put up a fight." tapping the sword lightly to his shoulder before going towards Madara swiftly. Just as Kisame was about to swing at Madara, the older male turned his head to freeze the other with his Sharingan. The half fish-man stopped in his tracks, taken off guard by this. Suddenly his face twisted into a smirk, but a growl escaped his lips "I thought you told us you killed off the rest of your clan besides your weakling little brother. You know I don't appreciate lies, Itachi." small veins appearing in his eyes as he spoke.

While the two seemed distracted with the conversation, the two elder ninjas made their moves. Madara quickly moved to swing his foot over, attempting to knock Kisame off his feet. Hashirama, on the other hand, spun around, bringing his hands up to send a hit to the teen's jaw. Neither wanted to kill the teens and as such, they didn't pull out any real power. Though wary of them of course, they had no way to know both were S-Class criminals used to combat.

Kisame lept back as the attack came from Madara, lifting his sword to block the further strikes the Uchiha sent towards him. The strikes were powerful, however, forcing him backward slightly. Itachi grabbed the fist that was launched at him, his Sharingan activating as he kept a painfully calm expression "I doubt your sword is so hungry it wants wood, Kisame. Just wait, soon it will be feasting in the blood of the wicked." enhancing his point by clenching harder on the brunettes fist. "On another note, what did I tell you about underestimating your opponents, Kisame? You're allowing what is most likely a simple genjutsu to get in your way. Ignore it."

There was no more room for talk as Kisame finally returned to begrudgingly fighting Madara, the two going at each other skillfully. Madara sent kicks and punches at the teen, who in turn blocked them with his sword. Meanwhile, Hashirama began making the hand signs for a restriction jutsu, hoping to restrict the teen but not completely end him. Hashirama spoke "Chakra Molding Jutsu: Chains of Restriction!" watching as chains slowly came to squeeze around Itachi.

Itachi could see them coming due to his Sharingan, however, he was too busy dodging and watching Hashirama's lightning speed kicks to stop the Jutsu. Soon enough Itachi found himself in bindings made out of Hashirama's own chakra, the chains wrapping around his wrists so he was unable to cast jutsu. Hashirama watched the teen with a serious expression "Now, how about you calm down so we can talk this through." the only response he got was Itachi running forward to press his chest to Hashirama's, pushing him to the wall in an attempt to fight even without his arms.

From across the room, finally tiring from blocking all the taijutsu attacks, Kisame raised his blade to come down on Madara "Hey Itachi, maybe he's an Uchiha too. After all, he sounds just like you every time we get into a fight. Always trying to sort things out peacefully, it's boring!" sending the blade down to where Madara had previously been standing with a smirk.

The rest of their fight Hashirama couldn't see, as he was blocked by Itachi's face. Itachi stood less than an inch away from the other, his eyes a deep red as they changed designs. "Tsukuyomi Sharingan." Itachi hissed, and after that, Hashirama felt himself fading out. All over one small miss on Hashirama's part too.

Slowly, Hashirama's vision came back to him. He glanced around, only to find himself no longer in the dining room. Instead, he found himself hovering over what appeared to be ashy clouds, the area around him looking to be a rusted shade of orange. He tried to move his arms, only to find they were restricted by some unknown force. He stood in a 'T' shaped pose, his arms stretched out.

"Try to move all you like. In this world, I control time and space. I control the very blood flowing in your veins." came Itachi's cold voice as he materialized in front of Hashirama with a displeased look. He drew his sword out, pressing in agonizingly slowly into Hashirmama's stomach. "I do not know what you have done to make Sasuke so upset, but you will pay for each wave of distress I sensed from him times 100." he hissed out. "You die here."

A few more clones on Itachi's self appeared, each of them joining in on the slow stabbing of Hashirama's gut. The brunette sucked in a breath as he felt the swords. "Itachi, you must listen to me. I am Hashirama, the First Hokage of Hidden Leaf Village. The man Kisame is fighting is Madara, my fellow founder." he gasped out as he felt an especially hard jab in his liver.

"If you believe pretending to be someone as great as Lord First will get you out of your punishment, you are wrong. You may plead all you like. You have caused Sasuke pain, and now you will die a slow and honorless death." his eyes half-lidded as though he were completely relaxed as he pressed the blade in and out of Hashirama. He looked almost hypnotized-- like he was blocking his own actions out.

Itachi obviously didn't care what Hashirama knew concerning his view on people, and Hashirama could only assume this was because he didn't expect the brunette to be leaving alive. None the less, he tried to get past the mental barrier Itachi had up, cutting off his humanity. "We are Hashirama and Madara. We have been sent back down after death to keep guard over Sasuke and Itachi Uchiha. Madara and Hashirama were sent down by Indra and Asura to watch over Sasuke and Itachi. Madara and Hashirama want to help Sasuke cope with the loss of his old life. Madara and Hashirama want to help Itachi cope with what he has done. Madara and Hashirama want to help Itachi cope with the guilt-"

He was cut off by his own groan of pain, blood splattering out of his mouth. Itachi had stopped for a split moment, only to drag the blade up to slice down Hashirama's shoulder "I have nothing to feel guilty for. I would slay that clan again in a heartbeat." he hissed, returning to steadily stabbing at Hashirama's stomach. Soon there were other versions of himself, also being stabbed. "Indra and Asura did not send you or Madara down to help. If they wanted to help they would have stepped in while millions were being murdered during the war. They would have stepped in while children were losing their humanity. They would have stepped in while babies were being covered in the blood of their mothers and fathers."

After a few hours, Hashirama wasn't even able to move anymore. He panted, all the pain mixed together. He looked up ever so slightly to see Itachi, glad his head hadn't been restricted. Hashirama choked on his own blood as he spoke "I...had a little brother too, you know. Three actually. Itama, Kawarama, and Tobirama. I understand why you're upset. They were." he grimaced "Precious to me too."

Itachi's sword stopped for a moment as Hashirama let out a fit of coughs. Itachi felt his hand shaking lightly, listening as Hashirama continued "Itama and Kawarama are the less known of my brothers. They died in the war, long before your time. I used to curse whoever chose death as their fate. I still do. War is cruel and unfair to all involved. That was my goal when I created the village with Madara. He also had younger brothers. Four of them. We both created the village wanting peace. Wanting to protect our brothers and all children from the bloodshed of war. By the way you talk about war though, our efforts weren't enough, were they?" he gave a weak smile. If he was going to die here, he wanted to at least let Itachi speak the words that had most likely been bottled up for years.

Perhaps, he reasoned, Itachi had lived during a time of war as well. Perhaps that stress was why he had killed off the clan. His answers were given however as Itachi spoke with a pained voice, still stabbing Hashirama occasionally, but more lost in thought now. "War is inevitable. People are greedy, that is their nature. Whether that greed is for vengeance of a loved one or for power, it is still greed. Greed is what makes us human." his lips tightening into a frown as he spoke

The sixteen-year-old wiped his eye with his sleeve quickly, doing his best to stay factual as always "I was born during the Third Great Shinobi War. There is nothing great about war." he growled, taking a jab at Hashirama's side "Killing my clan was my duty to my village and my brother. I refused to allow him to grow up like I had to. It was better he sees all the bloodshed in one night than throughout many of his years." he felt his throat tightening and his grip on Hashirama weakening. "War is cruel and unfair. If I could avoid it, I would."

It seemed like Itachi spoke more to himself now than to Hashirama. Slowly the grip on Hashirama loosened, and the man fell to the ground, still locked in Itachi's Tsukuyomi however. Since he now had control over his weak limbs, the brunette slowly stumbled over to Itachi. The teen's shoulders were shaking and he had to use everything in him not to cry out in frustration as his emotions built up. He hadn't cried since that night, three or so years ago. Suddenly however he felt a pair of larger arms wrap around him from behind. "It's alright. You've done your duty to the village, now allow me to do mine."

Itachi had to resist every instinct in him not to turn around and punch Hashirama as he felt the older male give him a light hug. This overwhelmed Itachi's senses, his mind falling apart as he tried to understand what was happening. Slowly, as his mind fell, so did his Tsukuyomi.

As they both fell out of Itachi's self-created world, Hashirama fell to the floor with a groan as both Madara and Kisame had expected. What they didn't expect, was Itachi to fall down onto his knees then to slowly sink to the floor until he sat with his shoulders trembling. This was enough to make both Madara and Kisame stop in their tracks, the fighting stopped. Both eyeing each other suspiciously, they moved to take hold of their partners. Madara knelt down to help Hashirama up, who slowly stood with the help of his friend. Kisame on the other hand lightly jabbed at the center of Itachi's back, "Uchiha, you better not of dragged me out here only to get exhausted halfway through!" he growled.

Hashirama, finally able to halfway stand, spoke while leaning on Madara "You had better leave now. We need to have a conversation with Itachi which does not concern you. I'm sure you and he can catch up later." a smile on his face through a warning hint in his voice that told the teen to back down. Kisame held his sword on his shoulder, glancing down at Itachi for confirmation before he left. The fact that the swordsman looked to get Itachi's consent before leaving after all that arguing about who was in charge would have been amusing, if not for the serious situation.

Without allowing himself to think too hard about it, Itachi gave a slight nod to his partner. He didn't even look up, knowing the other would be looking for confirmation first. Itachi by now had slowly began standing up, not finding it as difficult as Hashirama had since he was only tired from using his Tsukuyomiand from the emotional stress of the situation. Kisame was gone at that, turning to walk away as he spoke "Fine. But I'm not covering this time if Pain asks where you are." the door slamming shut behind him.

Silence filled the room for a few seconds, Hashirama moving to release the chains from Itachi's wrists. Finally, Madara's sighed, "Really Hashirama, you got caught in a Sharingan technique of all the things. Given I've never used Tsukuyomi on you, but really. You would think you'd have enough sense not to look him in the eyes." shaking his head back and forth. Hashirama gave a sheepish look, scratching the back of his neck. "Well, none the less, we all have injuries now and I haven't had any breakfast. Let's fix our wounds. That bastard actually scratched me a few times with the sword." the Uchiha noted.

As such, the tree found themselves piling into the living room to take care of their wounds. Itachi sat on one end of the couch with Hashirama on the other. Meanwhile, Madara settled for sitting on the floor beside the end table. Madara began wrapping his lower leg and shoulder, both of which had been grazed by the deadly weapon. Hashirama cleaned up a few miscellaneous scrapes and iced a few bruises, while Itachi iced his swollen wrists which had been rubbed raw from the chains. He also had a washcloth and was gently wiping the blood out from under his eyes.

Noticing the youngest in the room wiping his eyes, Hashirama sweatdropped slightly as he couldn't help but question what he had been thinking about for many years "Honestly, with all the bleeding you Uchiha do out of your eyes it's a wonder more of you don't die from blood loss alone."

Itachi finished rubbing the last of the blood from his eyes as he muttered the same answer he gave the twenty other people who asked. Unfortunately, it was a popular question so by now Itachi was growing a bit tired of hearing it. "Who would be foolish enough to use their Sharingan for such a long stretch of time that they died from blood loss?" he resorted, much to Madara's amusement.

Hashirama shrugged, resorting back casually "Probably the same kind of person who would use it until it bled at all over the place. It doesn't sound like such a good idea to ruin your eyes. You should just do like Madara did and get the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan." he suggested before turning to Madara "Hey Madara, why doesn't Itachi have Eternal Mangekyou as you do? If he's used to to the point his eyes are bleeding wouldn't he have mastered it?"

This only lead both Madara and Itachi to sigh at his lack of knowledge, but the older Uchiha going on to answer anyway. "Hashirama, you don't unlock Eternal Mangekyou by mastering it. To unlock it you must switch your Mangekyou with a close relative's Mangekyou. By trading out eyes, usually, a sibling but not always, you both unlock the Eternal Mangekyou." glancing over at Itachi "I suppose Sasuke would be the only one he could trade with now, but he doesn't have a Mangekyou."

"Oh...why does that make his eyes bleed though? How is his body benefiting from making him bleed out every time he uses it?" only receiving a shrug from Madara. After all, there would be no way for the older Uchiha to know- he had got his brother's eyes just after his awakened so he never had to go through any symptoms. Then with it being so common with all the bloodshed back in his day, no one ever had an issue finding someone to do the swap with. Now both turned to Itachi, to see if he had any ideas.

The younger Uchiha took over in the explanation from there. "The bleeding of the eyes results from a break in a small blood vessel in the sclera. The vessels break because of the pressure being applied to the eyes. If you switch the eyes, then the vessels aren't connected to the head anymore so they can freely be used without any extra pressure on the eyes. That's why it has to be a close relative- the user's body would reject any that are seen as foreign and try to attack it. So they need the same blood type and they need to be related so that the chakras can fuse."

Hashirama nodded slightly in understanding, grimacing at the idea of having your eyes pop from the inside every time you had to use a kekki genkei. "I see. So what would happen then if you keep overusing it? I would imagine it would only get worse each time."

Itachi didn't look at the other two and instead focused on wrapping his wrist, it is a bit odd to say he was slowly dying every day of a so-far incurable disease. "Well, eventually the user would go blind once all the veins popped. Each time a vein pops, the eyesight slowly gets worse until you can no longer see. Once the veins are popped and ruined, the excess chakra once in the eyes then flow through the chakra system, trying to find somewhere to go. But since the chakra of the Sharingan is unique to the rest of the body's chakra, it would continuously flow through the body trying and failing to find a new use. After that, the body goes into overdrive and shuts down completely."

Silence followed that, Hashirama halfway regretting asking and bringing up such a topic. Madara, on the other hand, settled for leaning on a wall with his arms crossed, thinking this through. It sounded reasonable enough, but still the very idea of slowly losing to a painful illness such as that- he didn't even want to think about it and was momentarily glad that he had been lucky enough to have his younger brother's eyes.

"Well, perhaps one day you will be able to find a pair of uses to use. I hear from Sasuke you single-handedly killed off the entire Uchiha clan. I can't say I'm too happy to hear this, but I'm sure you had your reasons." Madara spoke, slightly on edge "But the Sharingan does not disappear even after death. Surely you could have taken the eyes out of one of your relatives after it was all said and done?"

Taking a slight breath at the reminder of what he had done, even if it was for the good of the clan, Itachi shook his head back and forth "After I killed them with Tobi, a member of the Akatsuki, I had to go directly to the Hokage to ask for a pardon for Sasuke. By the time I returned, all of their eyes had been ripped out. I wasn't able to find a single one left on any of the corpses." he smiled thinly as a thought crossed his mind "Karma I guess."

Both Madara and Hashirama couldn't help but frown at this. Did they disappear? But more importantly, Hashirama quickly gave the biggest question yet to be answered from Itachi's answer, "Why would you be asking for the Hokage to pardon Sasuke's life? You're the one who committed genocide on your clan, not him." he pointed out the fatal flaw in Itachi's story, Madara nodding in agreeance while both watched him closely, half not believing his next words.

"Yes, I did commit genocide of an entire clan, but under the orders of the Third Hokage. I had been working as a double agent for the village. I reported a plan that the clan had been working on. It was an uprising to try to overthrow the village. As an ANBU captain, it was my responsibility to report that sort of thing. So I did. The Hokage gave me three choices. I kill them. He sends someone else to kill them. Or a civil war breaks out. I picked killing them myself, figuring at least then they would all be ended quickly. I was supposed to leave no survivors. I got almost the way through too, went down from the citizens living in the market place to my parents. All of them dead within an hour. I had just finished killing off the head of the clan when Sasuke ran in. I still remember, he took off his shoes before entering the house even in the middle of a slaughter. He was always such a well behaved kid."

Itachi noted the shoes without much real purpose, but unable to help it as he was slightly lost in his memories. "He ran in and he looked so confused. Screaming about how anyone could do something like murder the clan. I was supposed to kill him there. I was supposed to kill him and take off with Tobi to spy on the Akatsuki. To the rest of the world, it was going to look like I had gone on a multi-year S-Rank mission and my clan had been killed while I was gone. I was supposed to return home after the Akatsuki were defeated and continue serving the village. But I couldn't kill him. Not after all the times, I spent cradling and training him."

He swallowed a lump in his throat. He didn't understand why he felt safe explaining this all. Hashirama just had such a soft expression, while Madara's presence seemed to demand the complete truth. "So I left him alive. Oh spirits, I left him alive to deal with it all." he shook his head, and it was obvious to the two elder ninja he was thinking over what a horrid brother he believed himself to be. "But since Sasuke was there and I couldn't kill him, I told him I did it to test my limits and try to find a worthy foe. I told him to hate me, detest me, despise me, and finally, to kill me. I left to get a pardon from the Hokage for Sasuke because it wasn't unlikely that he would have someone go after Sasuke. After all, it wouldn't be the first time he's sentenced children to death." his mind immediately went to the cries of the poor children he had been forced to go after.

It was always the children that made him hurt the most to think about, so he quickly moved on "He gave Sasuke a pardon and promised me he would be protected, but in return, I had to continue with my mission as an Akatsuki member. In addition, however, I was also to be listed in the bingo book as an S-Rank criminal who could be killed on sight. I agreed and have pretty much been giving the Hokage the information in secret while waiting for Sasuke to come to kill me."

Hashirama looked like he had been punched in the gut. The village that he had worked so hard to help create had ordered a child to do this all to his own clan? He tried not to sound as upset as he felt as he spoke through clenched teeth "How old?". When he only heard a confused 'hm?' from the teen he repeated: "How old were you when this order was created?"

Madara and his stomachs both did flips as they got their answer from Itachi. "Thirteen". Thirteen. He had been just barely into his teens when ordered to kill his entire clan or face war. He was thirteen joining an S-Rank criminal organization. He was thirteen when he was forced to kill his mother and father. Their heads moved to glance over at Itachi as they heard strangled sobs, thinking it was him. When they didn't see any tears they turned to each other. Seeing no tears there either, it finally clicked. Sasuke was home. It was about 6:00 in the afternoon, so they assumed they got lost in talking and fighting. After all, they hadn't gotten up until around 10:30 am that morning.

Itachi slowly spoke as he heard his younger brother's sobbing "Sasuke..?" only to be knocked off the couch within the next second. Sasuke had darted from the front door and over to where Itachi was, quickly wrapping his arms around his brother. Itachi moved to hold onto Sasuke, carefully wrapping an arm around the younger teen and allowing him to hug him. It was honestly heart wrenching to hold his younger brother after so long, and to hear him wheezing in and out trying to regulate his crying.

Hashirama and Madara stepped back a bit, allowing the brothers their much-deserved reunion in peace. Madara and Hashirama glanced at each other before slightly bowing their heads, silently agreeing that this was definitely a big first step for them to take in helping Sasuke and Itachi move forwards and towards the light. It only then became so clear why the light was so hard to reach- the two's dark pasts were ones not easily accepted.

Finally, Sasuke got out a few words, the younger teen weakly pounding a fist onto Itachi's chest "You bastard! You lied to me all those years, why wouldn't you just tell me? I could have kept quiet!" he hissed through his tears, which had finally begun to subside thanks to Itachi's careful rubbing of his back.

The older of the two Uchiha gave a light, sad, smile to his younger brother. He smoothed over Sasuke's hair as he tried his best to comfort him after all the years they had been apart, Sasuke hating him viciously and Itachi ready to take it all for his brother's well being. "Because Sasuke, it wasn't your burden to carry. That's why I didn't tell you. I knew very well you would have been able to keep the secret if I asked you to. But that would not have been fair to you."


	9. For The Good Of The Village

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am aware that the Third Hokage did not order Itachi to in the canon story. This is a small plot edit I made to the original.

The day after Itachi returned was an uncomfortable one, to say the least. It had started out by Sasuke and the pair of guardians being unable to sense Itachi's chakra signature in his room or anywhere nearby in fact. Sasuke had been the first to notice and wake up, the teen being only halfway startled. He still wasn't one hundred percent sure it all hadn't been a fantastic dream. He slowly walked towards Itachi's room, not ready to see that Itachi had left overnight. Luckily enough for him, however, Itachi must have been prompted to stay just as he said he would.

There, sitting in the single-wide, was Itachi. He had grown quite a bit since he was thirteen, but he still just barely fit. He laid on the bed, silently breathing while his head rested comfortably on his pillow. Sasuke had felt his cheek puff on one side, looking at his brother disapprovingly as the older ninja opened one eye sharply. Had he been younger, he might have felt embarrassed to be found in his brother's room glaring at him until he woke up. "What is it, Sasuke?" came Itachi's tired but alert voice.

Sasuke moved closer to his brother, sitting beside his brother on the bed and flopping down beside him as he spoke "I thought you left. Why are you hiding your chakra signature? We're all the way on the other side of the compound, no one but us will be able to sense you here." he pointed out to his older brother, resting his head beside Itachi's arms which had been raised to wrap around the younger teen.

Normally, brothers wouldn't be caught dead hugging, but Itachi and Sasuke were a unique exception to this as neither ever really cared to hide their affection as most brothers would. By now, it wasn't even a second thought. Not the mention the affection starvation both had endured for three years now. Itachi raised a brow but closed his eyes none the less. "You underestimate your Hokage. He is a powerful ninja, one I know for a fact could sense anyone he wanted to easily within a 100-mile radius." he informed, slowly beginning to drift back to sleep "Not to mention I'm still a wanted S-Class criminal. Not hiding my signature would be foolish."

He had soon fallen asleep after that, but Sasuke not doing so as easily. If the Hokage could sense anyone that far away, wouldn't that mean he could sense Hashirama and Madara? He decided he would have to bring it up during breakfast if they all were awake for it this time around. He didn't want to risk them being found out and killed. Not after he was finally getting used to them being around.

T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K

Sure enough, everyone had woken up in time for breakfast. Hashirama had woken up when he heard Sasuke moving around as usual but had gotten up this time since he sensed him staying in Itachi's room. Being an expert ninja, it was difficult to ignore the slightest movements. So when he clearly sensed Itachi gone and was sure it wasn't a mistake, he put a hand on Madara's shoulder, successfully waking him up and earning Hashirama an annoyed look. "I don't sense Itachi in his room, you don't think he left do you?"

Madara shifted positions, sitting up tiredly and slowly getting up along with Hashirama "I don't know. Maybe. He's still technically a wanted, S-Class criminal. I wouldn't blame him if he didn't feel safe halfway through the night and ran off." following Hashirama down the hall until they reached Itachi's room. Inside, they were met with the sight of Sasuke laying curled up to Itachi, both barely fitting on the small twin-sized bed.

Older brothers themselves, they both felt a pang of sadness at the thought of their younger brothers. They both knew they would do nearly anything to see them again, not that their willingness made fate any more complying. They were glad, at least, that Sasuke and Itachi could still be together for the remainder of their lives. They soon noticed Itachi's eye open up, noticing their presence rather quickly. Sasuke soon followed, both the brothers looking over at Hashirama and Madara.

"Good morning you two. How about we go get some breakfast. You said Kakashi told you yesterday that Anko was willing to train you, Sasuke? When do you need to be at the training grounds with her then?" Hashirama asked, turning his back to head downstairs for breakfast. Madara followed him, and Sasuke and Itachi were quick to do the same. Sasuke figured he could get dressed after breakfast, Itachi thinking the same.

Well, Itachi more just had to slide his cloak back on over his underlayer than get dressed. Itachi had slept by just removing his cloak, the clothing being too baggy to sleep in. So overnight, he had worn simple navy sweatpants with a short sleeveless shirt which came down to his thighs. Around his waist was wrapped a casual obi. Overall it was comfortable, but also something you could walk around in out in the daylight without it being odd. Sasuke had worn his typical cotton black pajamas. As they headed downstairs, Sasuke muttered "Don't trust either of them to ever cook. They almost burned the house down their first morning here." earning him a glare from Madara, which had him quickly moving on and Itachi giving an amused look. "Yes, he said Anko wants to meet around 8:00 am."

He was casual until a thought clicked in his head "Oh, I forgot to tell you last night with all the chaos. She wants to do it here to avoid any distractions. It'll last until 11:00 am because Kakashi told her about how I have to be gone by 11:30 at latest to get to work. Apparently, it's required for Sensei's to be filled in on their student's jobs if they have one. Which only leads me to believe he brought us to that shop to annoy me." the teen looking aggravated at the thought.

Madara sighed "Great, so I and Hashirama are going to be stuck in our room the entire time hiding our chakra and not moving so we aren't found out." shaking his head back and forth at the thought, but knowing it was necessary. He glanced over at Itachi "Where do you plan to be while they're training then? You definitely can't be sensed or it'll end badly." he noted pointedly to the teen.

"I'll be at the Akatsuki headquarters. I need to check in with the leader so he doesn't get to questioning where I was last night." he calmly excused himself for after breakfast, knowing very well he needed to continue on with his mission even with the turn of events. Sasuke didn't look too happy about this, but Itachi could hardly blame him. He knew it was cruel to leave him once more, but Itachi did find comfort knowing Madara and Hashirama were staying to protect Sasuke.

Madara nodded slightly as they entered the dining room and conjoined kitchen, sitting down beside Hashirama as Sasuke moved to start working on breakfast. Itachi also moved to help with this. Hashirama pointed out "You know, Madara and I don't actually know what the Akatsuki is. Or, we don't recognize the name of it if we do." hoping to get an answer of what exactly it was that Itachi had found himself in the center of.

Glancing over his shoulder for a brief moment before returning to making the eggs, Itachi decided it was only fair to share his knowledge. "Akatsuki is an organization formed in the Third Great Shinobi War, not long after the Second Great Shinobi War, where the founder and his two friends were made orphans. It was created as a group for shibori from villages who wanted to bring peace to this world. The members slash a strike through their headbands to represent them leaving behind their old villages and any ties of violence that came with being part of a village. The villages started to view them as threats, and the original founders along with the current leader were led to a meeting to speak over lowering the stress between the two. Though, the village took this as a chance to ambush them, killing off the original founder."

At this Madara raised a brow. So far it didn't sound like this group was too at fault for how it turned out. "The old way of the Akatsuki was pacifistic. The leader, now known as Pain, started seeing pacifism as a poor way to achieve peace since his brother figure was killed during the ambush. So he resorts to force now. He believes by destroying everything people hold dear, they will come to their senses and realize what is truly important. So Pain turned to recruit S-Class criminals to join. At first, it did well, they would take on assassination projects for small villages who didn't want to be involved in the war but wanted something done. Then as they grew, Pain began setting his sights on the tailed beasts. His mission is to take the demon's power and use it to wipe away all the hate in the world."

Ah, so there it was. Hashirama sighed and shook his head back and forth "Good intentions but poor choices. It's always tragic to see someone wanting to do such good turn to doing things so evil." watching as a pair of plates were set down and the brothers began eating beside them. "But if you all know what they're after and who they are, why has no one gone after them yet?"

Itachi began eating his eggs, speaking between bites "These are all S-Rank criminals. Most of them have god-like powers. Not to mention, in an odd way, some of the members are very closely knit together and to some extent, it's like a family. Others are dating within the organization. If anyone goes after one of them, that person is getting jumped by ten S-Class criminals. Each member has their own unique powers as well, making it impossible for anyone to be completely immune to their attacks."

Madara asked "Ten? Perhaps there's a way to get them to give it up. Do you think that's possible? Or detouring their plan perhaps." he suggested. Sasuke just stayed quiet and ate his food, not having much to contribute to the conversation since he had never really been involved in major combat. Hashirama and Madara, on the other hand, were definitely enjoying having someone fresh around who they could talk strategy over.

"Zetsu, Tobi, Pain, Konan, Kisame, Sasori, Deidara, Hidan, Kakuzu, and I. Those are the members." he noted aloud "I can see Kisame leaving if I asked him, Pain if shown a different way, Konan if pain left, and perhaps Sasori if he lets go of an old grudge he holds. Zetsu and Tobi I do not see leaving because they seem to have second motives. I don't see Deidara leaving because he enjoys killing in 'artistic' ways as he calls it, Hidan I don't see leaving because he can spread his religion fastest in the group, and Kakuzu I don't see leaving unless there's no profit left. So that's at best five out of ten members." Itachi listed.

"I see. Well, five is definitely better than ten. If you can figure out a way, it sounds like a good idea to try to work on splitting the good from the lost. Though, that would just be my opinion." Hashirama offered, finishing his breakfast just around the same time as the others. "It's about time for Sasuke's sensei to be showing up, so we should all probably depart. We wish you luck with your mission and please if you can try to return home later tonight. It would be nice to have you around some more." Hashirama smiled at him, the teen's response being golden. He looked a bit startled at first, a fluster covering his face, but quickly let it go. He settled for offering a nod and heading out quickly.

Once Itachi was gone, Sasuke took this as a chance to bring up what Itachi had said earlier. He hadn't got a chance during breakfast, everyone else talking and all. He groaned mentally- it was just like when he was younger. Having his mother and father at the table talking to Itachi and him not able to contribute anything to say. He shook this off however and moved over to stand by Hashirama. "Itachi said he was hiding his chakra signature this morning because the third could easily sense anyone in the compound. Do you think that means you and Madara could already be sensed by Lord Third?" he asked the other since it had been nagging his mind for a bit now.

Hashirama looked down at the teen, nodding slightly "If he could sense chakra that well, then most likely. Madara and I both hold large amounts of chakra. If this is the case, we may need to speak to the third after all. We don't want him thinking we are hiding or untrustworthy if he finds out by another source. From the outside, it could never well look like we are two strangers who happen to look alike going after you because you don't really have anyone living with you to guard against it." able to see how bad that could turn out.

Madara nodded strongly "We also need to speak about getting a pardon for Itachi on some sort of grounds. I do not like the idea of him being forced to carry such a burden. He is an amazing shinobi and very mature for his age, but that does not mean he should have to take the heat for this. He was a thirteen-year-old boy, he should have never been put in that position and I have half a mind to prompt for a new Hokage. A man who orders the death of children and their innocence has no place watching over the village."

"But that's the thing. He doesn't seem like the type of person to do it at all when he's out and about. He stops by the school all the time to talk to the younger children. He makes sure there's a part of the village budget that goes towards keeping orphaned children and teens in homes. He personally goes to stop an attack on the village. He's beyond powerful and everyone admires him for it." the teen looking away slightly as he spoke, "So I don't see why he's so heartless when it comes to some people."

After a moment Sasuke felt Hashirama wrap an arm around one of his shoulders, prompting him to go on. "What do you mean by heartless? Has he done other things to the villagers in secret that you know about?" his voice serious. Madara watched him too, but both only received Sasuke looking away and glaring at the floor in response. Sasuke was trying to decide if he should say anything, and both hoped they would. If the village they worked so hard to create had become taken over by a snake, they would have to work to fix it. They couldn't leave it.

"He didn't do anything really bad, I mean he wasn't the worst and I can see why he did most of it." he muttered before continuing "But he does allow Danzo, the leader of the military, to do pretty much whatever he wants without doing anything. Danzo could mistreat anyone he wanted and the Hokage wouldn't do a thing." Sasuke hadn't personally been affected by that one, but it was true. "He lets Danzo do whatever he wants when it comes to attacking other villages militarily. I understand he is a military leader, but attacking and taking over smaller villages don't do anything but make the village a bigger target for hate. All those smaller villages could easily bound together and take back their land, leading straight to war. The land taken over isn't even used either. It's only there for the sake of show. If he doesn't stop being greedy the village could very well lose it all rather than gain everything" he explained.

Slowly, Madara and Hashirama were starting to see Sasuke's strong point. He understood people, just as his older brother did. He could see their motives before the people even attacked. "Same thing with Orochimaru. He's one of the three legendary Sanins. I read he got kicked out of the village because he took part in experiments that are forbidden. This part isn't a fact, but I heard they're human experiments. He's a complete monster, but no one wants to talk about why. He's tried attacking the village multiple times, but he never gets far. The point is though Lord Third hasn't once made a move to stop Orochimaru. I think it's because he was his student but I'm not sure." he explained

"Not to mention the Uchiha Massacre, and the fact I know it isn't just me he nitpicks at. It was just after the massacre when I was avoiding the fangirls. They kept hounding me and it was annoying so I went to sit at a lunch table with Naruto since no one would sit by him because most parents forbid it. Even mine did, actually. But anyway, he was looking miserable. Normally he shouts up in your face and won't shut up. He's a moron. But he kept sulking so I asked why he was being such a cry baby. According to him, he asked the third who his parents were and he only said that it didn't matter and it wouldn't bring them back. How do you say that to a ten-year-old boy." he huffed, "Also with the massacre, the Uchiha were about forty percent of the villages entire strength. Killing them off put it in even more danger. Damned bastard."

It was clear Sasuke was pissed now having thought about it, but both the older ninja's were glad he had. Letting two dangerous people run around as they wished, cutting the military defenses almost in half, allowing war to possibly spark, ordering genocide, and mistreating orphans. They wouldn't say orphan, no, based on the conversation Sasuke had told them about a few days ago, Sasuke was also taking the heat for it too. Hashirama gently squeezed the teen's shoulder, hoping to offer some support "Sasuke, this will be taken care of. He will not continue to fool everyone. This all needs to come into the light."

Sasuke nodded slightly "But how. He's so powerful and everyone in the village likes him. If he's keeping the village protected isn't he doing his job?" as far as he was concerned, if the Hokage didn't allow the village to all to ruins, he was doing his job. Hashirama and Madara seemed to disagree with this train of thought. Madara walked closer to them, looking Sasuke directly in the eyes.

He wanted his point to get through. "The Hokage is not someone who makes sure the village doesn't turn to ruins. The Hokage is someone who keeps the village functioning, safe, and happy. The Hokage has never nor will he ever have the right to mistreat or hurt the lives of others he is sworn to protect. That is what being a Hokage is. It's protecting the people within your village. A Hokage protects the innocence of children. That was one of the most important things that were put into consideration when it was a choice between Hashirama or me to become the first Hokage. He had a better understanding and clearer view at the time while I was fresh with the grief of my lost little brother."

Madara moved to put a hand on the younger Uchiha's head "I was powerful and, believe it or not, there were many rooting for me to become Hokage instead of him. But he was chosen because he was more caring towards humanity as a whole. That's what is important. I was angry at the time, but slowly I've come to realize that it was for the good of the village. That's what is important. The good of the village." standing to his full height after this. He did not want Sasuke walking away thinking that because someone was strong or loved they could not be in the wrong. He did not want Sasuke to believe giving up was the best option, especially with the earlier talk of Pain being too strong for the village to go up against.

Ever so slowly, Sasuke nodded. He could feel the hand on his head, and it only then occurred to him how incredibly lucky he was. He had someone as strong as Madara to look after him and someone as kind as Hashirama to help. He moved to lightly lay his head against Hashirama's side since it was so close from where the brunette was holding him in a side hug. Suddenly, he found himself feeling bad for cursing Indra and Asura the few days prior. It would appear they really did know what they were doing when it came down to it.

Hashirama moved his hand to lightly run over the anxious teen's hair, smiling thinly over at Madara who was looking away stubbornly. The brunette found himself being proud of his friend for finally understanding why he wasn't chosen. Hashirama had always cared deeply for his friend, but Madara's lack of willingness to put behind past grievances had been too much to risk for the village. He was glad the other could hopefully move on now.

Madara however, was not thinking about this at all, however. He was more thinking along the lines of what Sasuke was thinking about. Indra and Asura. He wondered to himself if, perhaps, they had seen the corruption falling upon the village and that was a second reason they were sent. He knew they definitely wouldn't just abandon the village at its most fragile point. That was out of the question. They both knew that, without a doubt, it would be hard. But so was creating the village and putting behind years of fighting. This was something they could do. For the good of the village and for the good of the last two remaining Uchiha.

A solid knock at the door shattered the moment, Sasuke quickly leaping to the door while Madara and Hashirama headed upstairs. Madara and Hashirama hid their chakra signatures quickly, but it was too late. For the moment Anko walked in, questions shot up. "Who was that just now? Hey, wait why are you still in your pajamas kid, you knew I was coming-" glancing over the teen with raised eyebrows.

Swiftly flustering, Sasuke closed the door and took a step back. His words clumped in his throat so all he could say was a gruntish "Gomen-nasai, Sensei". Anko looked him over, tapping her foot expectantly as if waiting for a second answer. Sasuke gulped down the lump in his throat "There was no one here. I just woke up late, that's all." he quickly tried to excuse himself.

Anko sighed at the teen and shook her head, "I'll be over there in the training room. Hurry up." turning on her heel before leaving. Sasuke darted over to his room, quickly changing into his training clothes and trying to get over the embarrassment of being seen in his pajamas by his sensei. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad if it had been Kakashi since Sasuke was surprised the man hadn't shown up to train them in pajamas yet, but being caught by a somewhat respectable sensei was terrible. Once he was done he headed over towards the training room, sword in hand and ready to go.

By now his leg had healed mostly, and he hoped she didn't see it. He had already made enough of an ass out of himself. He entered the training room to see her standing in the center, looking around. As he entered her attention turned to him as she spoke "Alright kid, you got any previous training in sword fighting?" only receiving a shake of his head in response. She sighed "Have you practiced with it a bit at least or were you waiting for me to come to train you before touching it?" she asked.

Sasuke mentally huffed. Damn this woman was brash. "Yes, I did practice a bit the other day". She nodded slightly and lifted her sword up, motioning for him to do the same. She swung it up then across, just as Sasuke had been doing the other day alone, but instead in one swift movement. He mimicked her, careful not to hit his leg wound. He quickly fell back into sync as he had the other day.

Anko watched him, occasionally coming over to reposition him. "Spread your legs farther apart. Get a balance. It will be important for when we move on to actual combat." she instructed. He did as he was told, focusing on the training and listening to her rather than thinking. After all, the other day when he got lost in thought all that led to was an injury. One which, unfortunately, did not take her long to notice. She pressed a hand to the wound lightly, "Your left leg is faltering and flinching occasionally. I'm assuming it's because of this injury. You got it while practicing, didn't you?" she questioned casually. Sasuke nodded slightly.

"Yeah, I can tell. Looks like you got it good based on the amount of gauze you must have on it. I can see the indent of the wraps coming down from your leg. I consider this injury noteworthy. Next time, tell me if you've been hurt training on your own. It could be dangerous." she warned, removing her hand and moving to stand a few feet in front of him to observe his technique and overall his skills. She wanted to build a baseline so she would know if he was improving or not; after all, this was her first time ever teaching. "Your reflexes are fast, which is good. Your arms also look like your strong enough to hold the sword. It looks like a good weapon choice for you." she approved.

"I'm in charge of one of the sections of the Chuunin Exams, you know." damn this woman talked a lot. It was hard for Sasuke to focus. He almost wondered if perhaps that was her goal while doing this all. To see if he would end up hitting himself again when distracted. He hoped not, because at this point he was thinking he might. "I've been taking charge of it for a few years now. I can see you becoming a chuunin one day. Your physically strong enough it looks like, then it's just up to your ninjutsu and genjutsu. Your kenjutsu should be strong too once I'm done training you." she grinned, leaning on one of the walls and crossing her arms "Don't think that means I'll go easy on you during the exams though. I'll know if you're trying hard or not." she smirked.

Sasuke nodded slightly, slowly beginning to tire. She watched him, not giving him the signal to stop until 11:00 exactly. By that point, he looked ready to chop his own arms off, but he figured at least it would only get better with time. Anko moved to lightly wave as she headed towards the door "Good job today. See you tomorrow, kid." and like that, she was out the door. Sasuke set his sword down, lightly rubbing his arms as he headed to the bathroom.

He headed in and quickly took a warm shower, hoping to soothe his tired muscles. He changed into a blue T-Shirt and a pair of navy shorts, heading out of the shower afterward. He was greeted by Hashirama, who was sitting on the couch now beside Madara. "Hm. I'm glad she isn't my sensei, she sounded like she was trying to have your arms fall off with all that swinging." he grinned lightly.

Madara nodded and chuckled, turning on the television "That one has a mouth on her, eh? And I thought Hashirama was the loud one." he noted. Hashirama playfully punched him for that one, before the older Uchiha motioned for Sasuke to come to sit with them. Sasuke did so, moving to sit beside Madara. Soon enough Madara and Hashirama were bickering over what to watch, Sasuke smiling thinly and laying his head on the couch as he listened, oddly content. Now just to wait for Itachi to return home, and it would be perfect.


	10. Akatsuki Secrets

Itachi kept his eyes trained forward as he ran. His legs moved on there own towards the Akatsuki hideout. He had made the trips between his childhood home and the hideout more times than he could count, keeping an eye on Sasuke despite the Hokage's warning against coming back into the village for his own safety. After all, he wouldn't just leave his brother to the wolves without any supervision. Luckily push hadn't come to shove, forcing him to get involved any way over the last few years. Though it was still soul-wrenching to watch his brother struggle through the anniversary week each year, he knew what he had done was for the best.

The youngest member of the Akatsuki, along with Deidara, soon found himself just outside the hideout. He straightened out his coat and took a calming breath before heading inside. His face was cleared of any emotions, replaced with an indifferent look. He headed inside, only to see a few heads turn to look at him.

The hideout was designed much like a house, after all, most of the Akatsuki lived in the hideout. After all, it wasn't as though most of the members could go and check into a hotel nearby. They would definitely be recognized then, and with so many members in one area, it would tell the village exactly where they were. The house had three stories, though it was underground so it wasn't as though they were at any risk of being found based on height alone.

One the floor closest to the surface was the living room, kitchen, and dining room. On the floor under that, was the bedrooms and bathrooms- exactly four bedrooms and four bathrooms. Partners shared a room to conserve space. Finally on the last floor was where Pain and Konan had a room, along with all the Akatsuki information, records, and information on enemies. It was a rare occasion that anyone was allowed on the last floor.

Back to the present, however, Deidara was on the floor by the couch, glancing over at him from his spot where he was making clay birds on the coffee table. Hidan was cleaning his blades while sitting on one of the armchairs in the living room, only looking up for a moment before returning to his cleaning. Sasori was in the dining room, using his hands and moving one of his puppets around in a circular motion. He only barely glanced up at Itachi's arrival, before his head ducked back down to focus on his work. Tobi was the one who really reacted to him showing up. The older Uchiha darted over to Itachi, his arms swinging up in the air in excited greetings "Itachi is safe! Yippie! told you he wasn't dead yet Deidara-Chan!" he squealed.

Itachi gave him an annoyed glare, one that matched Deidara's, though not quite as expressive. Deidara's annoyed voice came from across the room "Shut up Tobi, you're the one who said he was dead. Now will you be quiet, go cancel the funeral or something." he barked before the blonde turned back to his clay birds. Itachi walked around Tobi, heading over to the stairs to head towards the edge couch to relax and wait for Pain to ask something of him or for Kisame to return from where ever he was. He didn't feel like indulging in Tobi's words, so he remained silent as usual, taking a book from the shelf to read.

"But Deidara, I worked hard to make it! I even drew my own picture of him to put up front, see? I had to draw one because he wouldn't let me take any pictures! You know why, right? It's because Itachi is a vampire!" Tobi made a point to whisper the last part in Deidara's ear, not that is mattered as the masked man couldn't whisper to save his life. Hence why he was paired with Deidara- he was one of the only few in the organization loud enough that he couldn't complain about the bombs being let off every few minutes at random.

Deidara however, did not have the same tolerance with Tobi. "Tobi, I said shut up! He isn't a vampire he just doesn't want to deal with you pestering him! As a matter of fact, neither do I! And your art is trash Tobi, so either stop or get better. You give artist a bad name." he glared, back turned to Tobi now as the two argued. Hidan shook his head lightly, returning to polishing his scythes.

The masked man shook his head back and forth "No! Haven't you ever thought about it Deidara? He never looks in the mirror, he never eats my special garlic bread, and he's super pale and gloomy! He would make the best vampire. When Hidan joined he even said it himself, he said Itachi looked emo. Vampires are emo looking! Why do you have to be so mean Deidara, I thought it looked pretty?" his shoulders slumped dramatically, clenching the paper close to his heart as he spoke.

Deidara looked ready to chuck one of his bombs at Tobi but resisted the urge since the last time it had happened Pain had made Deidara reconstruct the entire room by himself. Deidara had been done so grudgingly, muttering the entire time about the man's lack of respect for art. The teen luckily, however, was saved any more annoyance by Pain walking in through the door, Konan following. Pain looked over at Itachi, eyes focusing on the teen. "You're back." was all he said, a statement that needed no more added as the red-haired man walked toward the staircase. Itachi knew to follow him and Konan.

Tobi quieted down with the appearance of their leader, the last words being spoken by him a shushed and child-like "Uh-Oh, Itachi's in trouble." only to quiet down when Itachi sent him over a silent glare. He had yet to say a single word since returning to the base but knew now it would be time to fill their leader in on where he had been. Luckily, Itachi was a very good liar by this point. After all, he had been a double agent for years. Starting with the village when he was eleven on the clan and then continuing for the village but for the Akatsuki the last three years.

As he headed down the stairs after Pain and Konan, he stayed quiet. He walked down the stairs a second time after reaching the second level until finally, he found himself in Pain and Konan's room along with the files room. He kept his eyes trained to the ground until they arrived, Konan and Pain both turning to look at him. He had his arm out of his coat, the zipper being pulled all the way up so it covered half of his face. Konan was the first to point this out. "Your cloak is up to all the way. Why?"

Normally it might seem odd for someone to mention a change of style after them being missing for a bit, but with Konan, this was not so. She was perceptive, and as was Pain. Anything out of the ordinary perked their alerts or made them interested, not to mention it was easier to start a conversation than simply demanding where he was. "My arm isn't hurting much today." was his plain explanation. Though, not an entire truth.

His arm hung in the cloak normally to relieve the stress on it until he was in a fight. The extra chakra from the popped vessels in his sclera as he explained to Hashirama yesterday flowing through him tended to rush to his arm, the one he used most in battle. This resulted in his arm's muscles being sore and tired from the extra pressure on it. Today he had left his arm in his cloak, despite it hurting extra from the use of it the day prior so that his face would be harder to read for the leader. "Besides." he added "Most Uchiha wore high collared shirts." he defended.

Luckily, Pain and Konan seemed content with this answer. Konan nodded slightly, moving on to the next question. "Where were you last night? Pain did not have a mission for you, but you gave no prior notice you would be gone." he eyes him suspiciously. She didn't like that the teen had up and disappeared, it being unlike him to be gone overnight. Given, members left on their own plenty, but it was odd for Itachi to do so. He was normally very responsible and mature, sure to let Kisame at least know where he was going. But Kisame had let Sasori know he was going to be out of town for the night and not shown up at all so they had no time to ask him.

"I left a note on the counter saying I would be out in town last night. Perhaps Tobi through it away or Deidara while cleaning." he offered up as an explanation. Seeing the doubtful looks and still trained eyes on him he frowned under his coat. His face reddened as he gave his full explanation, but knew it would work none the less. His eyes locked with Konan's as he spoke, knowing she had a somewhat motherly weakness to him and Deidara since they were so much younger than the others. "I was out with my girlfriend." he excused himself.

Immediately Konan looked ten times more tired. She repeated "So. You, an S-Class criminal who has joined the ranks of one of the most elite organizations of the world, decided to leave a note on the counter and run off to go see a movie or something with some girl you met. Therefore risking the organization being found out?" she questioned. She mentally kicked herself for not talking to Pain about having an age requirement of twenty before allowing members to join. After all, the last thing to group needed was a pair of over-emotional, homicidal, and hormone-filled teens going and blowing their cover.

They had already had to deal with a few of Deidara's teenager tantrums which had resulted in other members getting bombs thrown at them or rooms being destroyed. They didn't need Itachi to jump on the wagon. Though he seemed like more the type to sleep all day, go out at random without warning, or perhaps start getting more easily moody towards the family. Or in this case, the other members. None of this would be good since they needed Itachi alert and clear. He was one of their best members, along with Deidara. So just like Deidara's tantrums and explosive accidents, she supposed they might have to deal with Itachi's hormones too. They couldn't lose him as a member. "There was no risk. I use an appearance-altering jutsu."

Finally, pain spoke, "Well, what were you doing all night? I doubt it took you over six hours at most to go on a date. What you are doing is a danger to the organization and needs to be put to a stop." he spoke, eyes glued like a stone to Itachi. Luckily, Itachi knew exactly what Konan would chalk his actions up to, and was more than willing to play off of that. Even if it was a cheap trick, he wanted to be around Sasuke more often now that he was found out. He wasn't going to let it go.

"Hn. If you really must know, I slept at her house. And I plan on continuing to stay at her house from now on. If you dislike this, I would be more than happy to turn over my cloak and you all can go on with your plan without me." he coldly replied. Before Pain could object Konan quickly spoke, not wanting to lose one of their most powerful members but also not wanting the organization to be at risk.

"We were only wondering where you were, Itachi. Kisame didn't return to the hideout yesterday either, so we didn't know if you two had been killed or taken captive." this only got a snort from Itachi. "We understand you're free to do what you want or stay where you want when you aren't needed. But know, if the word does get out, we will have to have you and her both killed. So don't let it get out of hand." she warned wearily. "You are dismissed. We'll have it so your missions are up a day on the board in advance if possible, or we'll send Kisame. You are dismissed."

Itachi gave a bow of his head, heading up the stairs. He climbed up to the middle floor to see Kisame had returned and was in their room. He headed over slowly, pressing the door open all the way before heading inside and shutting and locking it. He moved to sit down on his bed, laying back onto it casually as Kisame looked over at him. The shark ninja knew quickly the other had something to discuss. He sat across from Itachi on his own bed, waiting.

The darker haired teen laying an arm over his eyes, slowly speaking "Kisame, I know you hate lies." his voice starting seriously "But I need to ask you to keep one, single, lie." he asked, glancing over at his partner to check his reaction. Kisame did not look happy, at all, but didn't move to interrupt him. "You know I care for my younger brother still. Even after the hell, I put him through, I care for him. That is why I brought you with me to kill off those men. I thought they were a threat to him. But they are not. After you left, it was clear they cared for him as well." he explained. "Somewhere along the line, the truth came out that I still cared for him. Now I have decided to move in with them. But I couldn't without Pain or Konan wondering where I was. I told them I have a girlfriend I'm staying with."

He sat up to look over at the older teen "Kisame, I need Sasuke and those people to stay between us." he gave a serious look. "You told me you care about that young swordsman, Suigetsu, in a brotherly way. And that was why we couldn't kill him when we came across him that day, sneaking around up in the area near the old base. So you know what I mean. I need to protect him from this threat too." he only hoped that Kisame would value their last two years together as something. After all, he never would have trusted this information with his last partner.

Kisame sent him over a light snarl as the request but moved to sit beside Itachi on his bed. He put a hand over the younger's forehead, pulling his hair back slightly to look in his eyes before speaking. "You're lucky I don't beat you for a request like that." not that he was actually sure he could lay a hand on Itachi in a real fight. "And you're double lucky I value you more than I value them or their orders." he gave a sharp-toothed grin.

Looking up as his hair was pulled out of his eyes, Itachi nodded slightly. He pressed his forehead to Kisame's hand, letting out a growl of his own "Well you're lucky I trust you with this instead of killing you off." smirking wolfishly "And you're double lucky I don't kill you for touching me." he smirked. The two stayed like this for a few minutes before Kisame stood, heading over to his bed and laying down. Itachi looked at the time. It was nearly 9:00 pm.

Soon he found himself standing, picking up his spare cloak to change into when he woke up the next morning. He headed out the door, stopping and glancing over his shoulder "You'll be helping me transport my items to my new house soon." he declared before leaving. The nineteen-year-old gave an annoyed look but grunted in confirmation. Soon enough, he was heading upstairs.

Now it was Konan and Deidara sitting at the coffee table, the blonde working on his clay bombs and the blue-haired girl doing origami. Pain was in the dining room with Zetsu, eating. As Itachi went to leave, Deidara left up from his spot "Hey, where the hell do you think you're going!? I refuse to sit through any more lame speeches from Tobi about what a brave shinobi you were. If you're going somewhere, take him with you!" the blonde demanded.

Hidan spoke from across the room, sitting on a counter in the kitchen "I wouldn't keep disappearing at night, it makes you look unclean." glancing over at the younger teen pointedly. Itachi sent them both icy glares, not liking how invested everyone seemed in his life. He opened the door, only to feel Tobi latch onto his legs, nearly making him tumble over. He barely caught himself, arms shooting up the grab the doorway. He growled, trying to kick Tobi off as the masked shinobi gave whines not to leave, much to Itachi's annoyance.

"Everyone calm down. Itachi has been granted permission to leave. He is no longer living within the hideout." Pain calmly explained. Itachi sent him a glare which easily read: 'I don't need your permission'. Hidan raised a brow, Zetsu not seeming to care, Sasori giving a stare in Itachi's direction, and Tobi carrying on and saying he couldn't leave. Deidara was, of course, the one to make the biggest deal of it, excluding Tobi.

Eyes widening angrily the blonde teen stomped in an aggravated manner "You two told me I had to stay in the hideout, what the fuck! What, am I too weak to live on my own? Might get captured?" he accused. Pain and Konan looked like a pair of overworked parents as they listened. Tobi gasped at Deidara's words, quickly abandoning Itachi's legs in favor of clinging to Deidara and asking why he wanted to leave him.

Itachi had no idea what happened next because he was out the moment his legs were released. He headed in the direction of the Uchiha compound, going through the back as usual. He moved to relax his arm in his cloak now, extra one left over his shoulder. He stopped halfway through at a small town to get some dango. He hadn't wanted to make such a big deal about not living in the hideout any more but snatching food before he left. Plus he wasn't sure anyone at the compound was still awake. He doubted it, they were probably all asleep he figured.

But damn, did he guess wrong. He arrived home around 10:30, as it is an hour-long run and it took about five minutes to buy the food at the late-night tea shop and about twenty-five to escape the member's accusations. So when he arrived in the compound, quietly entering and being careful not to make a sound since all the lights were off, he was sure everyone was asleep. He had his arm in the cloak, using it as a sling, and dango half-eaten in his mouth. Also, the fact he hadn't showered in about three days now probably didn't make him look the most presentable.

As he closed the door and turned around, he was startled as a lamp flicked on, Hashirama greeting him with a smile beside the lamp, Sasuke asleep with his head on the brunette's lap. Then, Madara appearing about an inch in front of him. He reflexively reached up and punched Madara in the jaw, not expecting him to be so close. His eyes widened as he realized who it was, and the fact he had actually made contact.

Sasuke shot up at the sound, Madara staring at the teen in shock, and Hashirama raising both brows. Quickly Itachi stared back at the older Uchiha, answering the question everyone was holding. "Don't get in my face and expect me not to reflexively hit you." he narrowed his eyes. He knew he didn't do any real damage, so he wasn't too worried about it. He took another bite of his dango, looking away stubbornly as finally, the shock wore off of everyone.

Sighing heavily and shaking his head, Madara turned on the main light while Hashirama switched off the lamp. "Well, now that Sasuke's up," he muttered. Seeing the dango the older Uchiha sighed, pulling it straight out of the teen's mouth, half-eaten. "We were waiting for you before starting dinner. The least you could do is not fill up on junk before you get here." he scolded, much to Sasuke's amusement. The younger teen couldn't help but snicker, looking at his brother's surprised expression from his spot beside Hashirama.

The older of the two Uchiha teens for once found himself shocked. Did Madara really just pull the dango he was eating straight out of his mouth? He reached over to grab it back once he got over his shock "You can't do that! I paid for it! It's mine!" he stammered out, trying to snatch it from the older ninja's hands. Which, to put it simply, failed miserably. As he reached up to try to retrieve it, all it got him was a light shove back. After about ten minutes of Itachi trying and failing to practically climb up Madara for his sweets back, he gave in and just let him keep it. Itachi figured he needed real food anyway since he hadn't eaten since breakfast.

As such, once Madara made a point to set the dango on the counter away from them as they ate, Itachi was silent but quick at eating. Sasuke ate quietly as well, though not as quick. After a bit, Hashirama asked "So, how are you explaining being away during nights from now on? Plus yesterday?" he asked the teen. He was curious, not wanting the teen to get caught. "I don't imagine the other members are thrilled that part of their base security is gone. How did it go with breaking the news to them?" he added.

Swallowing down the bit of soup he had in his mouth and wiping off his mouth with his sleeve he spoke, slowing down to do so. "Pain and Konan were apparently looking for me and asking everyone where I was last night. Everyone took turns complaining when I came back to the base." he explained "I ended up getting chewed out by Pain and Konan about being unresponsible. I played it off by pressing on Konan's mother instinct she has for me and Deidara. I told her I had a girlfriend I was staying with and she got Pain to let it go for now. Warned me that if the information was leaked they would have to kill her and I, however."

Sasuke snickered at this "As if you could get a girlfriend." resulting in a light jab in the side from Hashirama. The younger Uchiha glared at Hashirama, before contently returning to his food. Madara raised a brow at this in a slightly amused fashion, finding it odd to think about there being a motherly character in the middle of a criminal organization.

Itachi quickly sent Sasuke a glare for the girlfriend jab "I'll have you know I had a wonderful girlfriend before you started throwing fits every time I put you down, you little shit." he pointed out, much to Sasuke's embarrassment as he knew it was the truth, before continuing on "Anyway, Zetsu doesn't care. Sasori looked displeased. Hidan pretty much accused me of leaving to go to the red light district if you know what I mean. Tobi threw a fit and clung to my legs. Deidara threw a fit and said they wouldn't let him move out. Then I didn't see the others besides Kisame who is fine with it."

"Kisame, that's the one with the shark gills. He knows the truth though, or at least where you were last. Won't he tell your leader?" Madara asked wearily. He understood that he and Itachi were partners, but did not understand the fact that they had strong binds to each other. After all, Kisame didn't seem like the type to be l willing to lie for someone else. Especially after the teen had nearly gone after Itachi mid-fight the other day for lying.

Reaching up to rub his temples, Itachi did so. "He won't tell. I went through this with him today. His loyalty lies with me, not the Akatsuki for reasons I should not share as it is not my place to do so. Besides, he has someone he considers a younger brother as well that I broke an Akatsuki rule to protect with him. He may be sadistic and cruel in a fight, but he is an honorable shinobi and man for that matter as well. He's also helping bring my stuff over here eventually because I don't want to take eight hour-long trips there and back." he explained.

Seeming content with this, Hashirama and Madara nodded. Itachi glanced over to Sasuke "How did training go with your sword?" he questioned, and in response, Sasuke lifted his arms in an annoyed fashion, both looking limp and tired. Itachi asked "I'm guessing your sensei is going with the classic swinging lessons then." he spoke in amusement. "It gets easier. When I joined ANBU you remember how my sword training went. And mine was only a miniature one." he chuckled.

Sasuke nodded as they finished up eating "Yeah, I remember, you came home and flopped on the couch with your arms under you and wouldn't let anyone touch them for a week. You made mother terrified they had broken your arms or something." he laughed, though a bit sad at the thought of their mother. He quickly wiped it away, trying to focus on the future. "You were so dramatic," he smirked.

"Excuse you, I thought my arms were broken. I couldn't even lift them until the next day and by then they had me training again." he defended "You're one to talk, You were just complaining about your three-hour training session. Plus you're three years older now than I was then, you've had plenty of time to build your arm muscles, so don't take shots at me, momma's boy." Itachi glared, jabbing Sasuke in the side as they went to put their dishes in the sink.

Sasuke yipped at the jab, glaring and tugging at Itachi's ponytail "What does she have to do with anything, you self entitled jerk!" and much to Madara and Hashirama's amazement, the two began bickering as though they had never lost each other. In an odd way, they supposed, the bickering was inevitable between brothers, no matter how much they loved each other. Just as it was an older sibling's instinct to tease the younger occasionally, even if they would put their life on the line for them.

Just as soon as it had picked up, however, it fell completely until the two were cleaning the dishes, Sasuke turning to glare at Itachi occasionally, which the older refused to even acknowledge it. Slowly the glares ceased and Itachi returned to looking at his brother, the two slowly falling back into peace once more. Hashirama and Madara looked at the time, and upon noticing it was now about 11:00 pm, decided they should probably say something.

"Well, it's getting pretty late you two. Sasuke you have training tomorrow I believe and Itachi you have to be up early to head to the base. You guys should probably start heading to bed, along with the two of us." Hashirama noted. He watched the two nod in agreement and soon they all split up, but not before Itachi made a point to take his dango off the counter and bring it to his room, not allowing Madara anywhere near him as they all waved there good nights and farewells to each other.

Hashirama and Madara headed upstairs, Itachi just ahead of them as he walked towards his room. Hashirama stopped, however, to pull Itachi off to the side as Madara went on to the bed. The brunette didn't want to say anything in front of Sasuke or Madara to embarrass the teen, but he also knew it needed to be said. "Itachi, I realize you're used to hanging out in a criminal base with nine other guys and a single girl who is probably used to it by now, but please. You smell strongly of sweat from all the running and the fish scent from your partner is there. Not to mention you still have dried blood on your cloak from who knows how long. Skipping showers in your profession is not an option I'm afraid." he motioned to his sleeve, which had blood on it from when Itachi had swung at Madara earlier.

Quickly Itachi moved his hand behind his back and he hid his small panic at being so dirty someone actually picked up on it. He hid his fluster behind stoic eyes, not that it worked much for hiding it from the expert ninja. Itachi found himself trying to explain "I'm not always like this I just got distracted- I just didn't shower last night that's all-" he found himself stammering for the first time in years, much to his own dismay. He was always the clean fanatic who, according to Kakuzu, was also the one raising the water bill so high. At least Konan seemed to appreciate it.

He supposed after living with so many grown and uncaring men for so long however, he had gotten used to only taking a shower every two or so days at best. He never paid it much attention, but thinking about it now, if his father could see him he would be beating him over the head with a shampoo bottle. He felt a pair of hands on his shoulders and looked over to a smiling Hashirama. He slowly calmed down, the older male nodding and heading off. Itachi sighed, heading back downstairs to take a shower before bed, extra set of clothes in tow as he sulked. Had he really gotten that used to smelling fish he didn't even smell it anymore? If he weren't so useful, he would make sushi out of that bastard of a partner.


	11. Nightmares

Sasuke's back arched in his sleep, body subconsciously curling into itself. His arms were pulled up against his chest, eyes clenched closed and sweat building on his forehead. It didn't take a genius to tell he wasn't feeling well. The only noises escaping his lips, however, was a light growl and pant. His mind wasn't in the same place. Or rather, it wasn't at the same time.

\-----------------Nightmare----------------

The teen glanced around. He stood once more in the gates of the Uchiha compound. He was no longer seeing it as he had every day for the last three years, quiet and baren. He didn't see it as he had that night either. He was not unfamiliar with nightmares or even night terrors regarding the incident, but it had never been as it was tonight. As usual, he was smaller than he was in current time, finding his body to only be about the size he was when he was ten. Though, he was always small when he was a child, making him look more like an eight-year-old at most. This only made him feel smaller, of course.

He felt terror flowing through him as he looked around. His lips were dry, and he could barely move. Each step forward he took, his legs felt like they were made of lead. His movements were staggering as usual, but he felt a new sense of fear this time. Normally as he went staggering through the streets, watching as the clan was cut down by a seemingly invisible force. He never saw Itachi himself until coming across him in the training room, where the actual killing had taken place. In the final room, he would always be unable to look away as his parents were killed, Itachi sneering at him and taunting Sasuke that his hate wasn't strong enough.

However, tonight was different. As he walked down the streets he couldn't hear the shouting or see the bodies for once. Instead, as he trudged through the streets, he could only see the dark red which was all too familiar in his dreams. He cringed slightly as he felt himself stumble into a stray puddle, the blood which covered him being unbearable. He wanted to scream but kept himself muffled as to not attract attention from the one who had spilled the blood.

The only issue was, the one who had spilled the blood would find him regardless by the end of the dream and he knew it. He headed out towards the head house finally, unable to stand the stray stains any longer and instead opting to get it all over with. He stumbled into his home, but much to his surprise, he didn't see the usual scene of his parents being cut down. Instead, he saw Hiruzen, his Hokage robes, and hat sporting numerous bloodstains. The man held no weapon, instead of standing a few feet away from the main scene and watching. In the middle of the room where normally his parents would be, Hashirama and Madara knelt.

Hashirama and Madara were gagged, but looking up at Sasuke blankly. Sasuke felt his body shake with shock, and thoughts raced through his mind. Hashirama and Madara were going to die. They would die because they stayed by him. He tried to move forward, but couldn't will his legs any further. He watched at Hiruzen pointed to Hashirama and Madara, Itachi soon coming out of the shadows. His brother looked hollowed out as he sliced through the two older ninja's back, killing them off quickly. Sasuke was reaching out for his brother, trying to call for him, but failing. 

After a moment Itachi raised his sword up, plunging it into his own chest. The blood leaked out, but all the third cared to do was turn his back towards the door, going towards the exit. An angered snarl left Sasuke's throat as the teen was finally able to move, charging towards the older man. Before he could make contact however, he saw everything fade into white.

\---------------NightMare End----------------

When he finally woke, Sasuke shot up. He was struggling to breathe properly, his emotions filling his chest. He took deep breaths, hand on his chest as he quietly focused in on the area around him. After a long hard moment, the teen had completely calmed his body down from his dream. His mind was an entirely different matter. He moved his legs to kick the sheets off him, the sweat from them being disgusting against him. He sat up, moving a hand through his hair and checking the time. 1:27 am.

Sasuke got out of the bed carefully, wiping the sweat of his brow before heading towards his door. He had to brace himself to open it, mentally scolding himself and making a point in his mind that he was thirteen and not three. He opened the door and stepped into the hallway. He could sense Madara and Hashirama's chakra upstairs, so he began following it silently until he reached the door. He popped his head in the doorway, inching over nearly silently and doing his best to hide his chakra so it didn't startle them awake or have them think he needed anything.

He stood beside Hashirama for a moment, looking over his calm and peaceful expression. He didn't seem to be in a bad position, as Sasuke had expected. He knew honestly that he had come to reassure himself more than anything, but there was no one to question his inner thoughts so if he wanted to tell himself he was checking on them, that was exactly what he would do then. He then moved to look over Madara. The older Uchiha held a tight frown on his face, as usual. Once he was content and calmed, the teen moved for the next bedroom over. Itachi's bedroom. As he entered, he was surprised to see the older Uchiha sitting up in his bed, looking towards his open window with his eyes closed. Sasuke was about to step back and head to his room however when he heard the older teen's voice, "I know you're there, Sasuke." Itachi tiredly spoke, rubbing a hand against his eye tiredly "Come in here, please?" he asked, worried the teen had had also had a nightmare and hence the sneaking around the house so early.

After a moment of hesitation, the younger teen headed into Itachi's room, inching towards his bed. Itachi turned to glance over at his younger brother, a hint of a smile crossing his lips as he reached out. He took hold of Sasuke's arm, leading him over until he stood in front of Itachi. Sasuke matched eyes with Itachi, "Why are you awake?" the younger of the two questioned, allowing his brother to keep hold of his arm gently.

The young Uchiha couldn't help but jolt lightly as Itachi lifted his other hand up to run over his hair. Sasuke felt odd as Itachi's fingers patted his head, an old sensation long lost. "I wasn't sleeping well. That's all. How about you, little brother? What are you doing, roaming the halls in the middle of the night?" though he was sure he knew the answer. After all, with Itachi reappearing and the recent destruction of everything he's ever known to be true, it would be a bit hard not to have an uneased mind. Sasuke's silence was the only assurance he needed that he was right. "So nightmares then. Care to share?" he offered, knowing Sasuke had always benefitted from talking it out before.

Much to his surprise, however, unlike when Sasuke was younger, he found the teen grow more upset with Itachi himself than anything. "It's none of your business if I did have one, but no, I did not." he defended, obviously thinking Itachi had been mocking him. The older teen was surprised at the outburst, along with the sheer volume of it. He wasn't surprised when he heard the sound of footsteps rushing towards them. Soon enough, Madara was by Sasuke's side, trying to see what was wrong with the visibly upset teen. Meanwhile, Hashirama shot over to Itachi's side, resting a hand on the teen's shoulder to reassure him it was alright. Itachi's hand was now laying him on his lap, having let go of Sasuke after the outburst.

Itachi watched as Madara took hold of Sasuke's shoulder, leading him out of the bedroom. The teen had followed slowly, sending glares over his shoulder at Itachi the entire way. Itachi felt his eyes stay glued to the doorway, a mix of guilt and confusion brew in him. He felt bad he had made Sasuke upset, but he also, of course, had absolutely no idea what he had done to make Sasuke get so angry. Were those the teenage hormones Konan was so weary of?

His thoughts were cut off as he felt Hashirama sit on the bed a bit behind him. Itachi let out a small breath of surprise as the older male wrapped both arms around him, pulling him closer. The teen wasn't sure what was going on, quickly becoming stiff and rigged as if waiting for an attack. Of course one never came, Hashirama wondering why the teen had gone so stiff before he heard his gruff voice "What are you doing?" Itachi demanded with an annoyed tone, trying to worm his way out of the embrace.

"You looked upset. What happened?" the older one asked gently, but keeping a firm hold on the teen. After a moment he let go, however, the Uchiha backing away from him slightly and letting out a light growlish noise. He said nothing, waiting for the teen to calm himself. It didn't take to long, Itachi taking in a few deep breaths until his breathing was even again. Hashirama had a feeling if he were anyone else, he would have gotten swung at for touching the teen. He hadn't meant to set the other off but knew he probably should have asked before locking onto him. After all, Madara was the same way sometimes.

Taking a deep breath, Itachi seemed calm after a moment. He pursed his lips before speaking, assuming he might as well tell what happened. After all, they had woken up Hashirama and Madara, the oldest Uchiha looking beyond tired as he came in, though Hashirama didn't look too sleepy. "I just woke up. I heard Sasuke and told him I knew it was him. I asked if he had a nightmare and wanted to talk about it. Then he yelled-" he explained, eyes glued to his hands as he tried to find his solution. It was obvious that he was part of the nightmare, but was Sasuke still angry at him for the clan? It would make sense, but was he not allowed to comfort Sasuke anymore? Did Sasuke want him to leave?

It startled him deeply as he heard a light chuckle from Hashirama. He glared lightly, which made the brunette quiet down. Slowly, he felt an arm wrap around his shoulders, one which he allowed to stay this time. "Itachi, you don't need to worry about that. It's completely normal for him to react as he did. I know you haven't been around him much in the last three years and he must be a lot different now. But I don't need to of been here to know why he reacted so badly. He was probably just embarrassed you were offering comfort. Just like a moment ago, when you practically bit my arm off for touching you." he chuckled.

Itachi looked away, scratching his wrist lightly in his own shame. He knew he reacted much stronger than he should have, but he had been startled. Hashirama assured him "Madara will make sure he's alright. What about you though? Why were you up so early anyway?" he asked. He could see the bags under the teen's eyes, and could only assume he was having similar issues to Sasuke. "And don't you dare say nothing, not after what just happened with Sasuke." he reminded.

With a begrudged look, Itachi muttered "I had just finished a dream and woke up. That is all." he defended. Hashirama reached up and put a hand on Itachi's head much as he had done to Sasuke, and the older teen slowly was starting to see why Sasuke had been so annoyed with him. He also felt an odd sense of enjoyment as well, however, so he didn't stop the other. Hashirama wrapped an arm around him and began petting his hair back calmingly. Itachi slowly started to understand why Sasuke had always enjoyed similar actions when he was younger.

Had Itachi been more egotistical, which obviously he was not based on the many lectures he gave Sasuke about it, he might have pulled away or resisted the petting. Yes, he had pulled away from the earlier hug, but it had been out of startlement. He could hear Hashirama's voice as the older man asked "Itachi, what was the dream about?" he asked lightly, and Itachi swore he could hear the smile in his voice.

After a brief moment of hesitation, he continued on "I was with my old girlfriend, Izumi. I suppose using it as an excuse made me think of her." he explained. He was unsure, but after a second moved his head onto the older male's shoulder to rest it. "It was right before I killed her. I was dreaming about the way she thanked me for giving her the life she wanted before death."

Hashirama could easily see the sadness hidden under the calm exterior. He moved a hand down the teen's hair, which he was only now seeing let down for the first time. He nodded slightly, careful not to move and disrupt him too much. "I see. It must have been hard for you to have to end her life. I'm glad she got to live her life to the fullest it sounds like, though." he attempted to reassure him.

"I trapped her in a genjutsu using my Sharingan," Itachi admitted. "Using the power I hold over time and space in the world of Tsukuyomi I tried to give her a perfect life. She graduated to chuunin rank just like she told me she had always wanted to, she said Jonin sounded too stressful. There were no more wars for anyone to get caught in. She worked to help people and continue her father's legacy just like she dreamed. I became a Jonin, and her husband. She lived for years in that world. We even had a son. He graduated from the ninja academy early just like both of us. He was sweet and kind just like her. He was an angel and went on to become a well-respected ninja. He still came to visit us and gave her the full mother experience. She and I grew old slowly together. She spent seventy years in the Tsukuyomi world, living out everything she could ever want before dying of old age with me." he cursed himself as tears lightly welled in the back of his eyes "It was only a second in the real world though. Her body couldn't keep up with her mind and she died thanking me for a life she wanted to have before she died." he reached up to sipe his eyes quietly "But I still killed her. She died happily, but she didn't deserve to die." he hissed, and that was the end of his words as he was busy gulping down his tears.

He tried to remind himself of what his father had said that night- that he shouldn't turn back or stop once he chose his road- but he couldn't help it this time. Thinking something and saying it out loud were two different things. He felt Hashirama lightly rubbing his shoulder in reassurance and bit his lip, giving in and laying his head completely down on his shoulder in guilt he couldn't help. He bitterly laughed on the inside. There he was always telling Kisame they weren't to blame for having to kill those close to them, yet finding himself guilty anyway. "You gave her the best life you could have, and it's very sweet you took the time to construct it all. You didn't have a choice. You were brave to do what you did. There are many who die before their time. All we can do is allow them the safest passage to the afterlife. I doubt she would want you to feel guilty over it Itachi."

The teen nodded slightly, his shoulders lowered slightly as he let out a sigh, exhausted. Hashirama held onto him for a bit longer before moving to lay down, bringing the teen with him. Much to the surprise of the brunette, Itachi ended up falling asleep within a minute of them laying back. Itachi rested on his chest, and Hashirama moved a hand up to rest it on the teen's back while he slept. It didn't look like he would be going anywhere for a while.

T-K- T-K -T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K

Sasuke was lead out of the room with Madara, and out into the main bedroom where he and Hashirama slept. Sasuke recognized it as his parent's old bedroom before their passing but didn't say anything as he remembered he had been the one to offer them both the room. Madara lightly took Sasuke's shoulders and led him so he was sitting on the bed with the older Uchiha standing in front of him. Sasuke would be lying if he said he wasn't a bit nervous. He realized finally he hadn't really been around Madara without Hashirama near before, and without the jokester around Madara looked a lot more intimidating. Madara looking like he was not happy to be woken up at 1:30 in the morning didn't help Sasuke's nerves either.

It didn't take a scientist to figure out the teen's nervousness either since he had his head pointed down and his arms behind him clenching softly into the sheets. Madara easily noticed and sighed, moving to sit down on the floor in front of Sasuke so he wasn't looming over him. He instructed firmly, "Breath. In and out. Deep breaths." the teen doing so, and the anger eventually draining out of him with the help of both the breathing exercise and his nervousness. "So Sasuke, what exactly was it that was none of Itachi's business?" he questioned, tilting his head back slightly to look at the youngest Uchiha.

After a moment's hesitation, Sasuke muttered: "He wanted to know if I had a nightmare or not". A few seconds ago he had been ready to start attacking Itachi again, screw the fact he had missed him more than anything for the last three years and finally got him back. He felt a bit foolish now that he said it out loud, but none the less he couldn't help it. He had no idea why he was suddenly feeling such an overdrive on his heart, which was beating decently faster than usual though a bit more relaxed from being sat down and away from his older brother.

"So Itachi asked if you had a nightmare when he heard you roaming the halls at 1:30 am in the morning, and your first reaction was to scream at him?" he asked, watching as Sasuke gave an unsure nod. He sighed lightly and shook his head back and forth in disapproval. "I suppose you were worked up with emotions from your nightmare?" another silent nod. "You aren't used to having such powerful emotions, are you?" a shake of the head. He really wished the kid would use words rather than continuously shake his head, even if he knew he did the same thing a lot of the time. Right now, however, all it was doing was making him feel bad for scaring the teen. Which was a feat, since usually he enjoyed jokingly teasing and scaring the younger ones to a limit.

Madara sighed, moving a hand to rest it on Sasuke's knee, which flinched in turn. "It was bound to happen, suddenly having two older Uchiha who don't show much positive emotion thrown back into your life after three years of being without any. I suppose you must have not been affected by it as much since you were used to being alone most of the time. Having three new people suddenly moving in and showing a large range of emotions is affecting you more than it seems."

Ever so slightly Madara could see Sasuke look up a bit questioningly, curious despite his nervousness. "The Curse of Hatred as many like to call it." he looked over the still puzzled teen and rubbed his temple "Really, no one bothered to explain it to you?" he sighed. "What it means is, the Uchiha have always had a strong sense of emotions. When they try to close them off, they develop the curse. All their emotions tend to channel into negative ones. I assume you were trying to be less expressive towards Itachi when he asked, unintentionally mimicking us."

He tried to give as easy of an explanation as he could, as it was understandable for someone his age to accidentally mimic the ones around him. "But Sasuke, it's very important you don't fall into these urges. What happened with Itachi tonight may have just ended up with a small argument, but you may not be so lucky next time. If you end up doing it a certain way, letting these restrained emotions attack, you might activate the Sharingan technique Mangekyou. You overheard what Itachi said. It slowly breaks down your body, and besides, it's stressful enough without the curse on top of it. You need to understand that neither Itachi or I completely have rid ourselves of our emotions. I haven't because I still care for multiple people, who happen to be within a fifty-foot radius of here. I know Itachi hasn't because he cares very deeply for you just as everyone else in this house." he grinned lightly, hoping to prove his point. 

Luckily he seemed to have gotten it as Sasuke's cheeks dusted red for a brief moment as Madara spoke of the people who cared for him, before nodding with a slight smile. It was odd, Sasuke noted, he had received odd happiness from the talk with Madara despite most of it being a lecture. He supposed he could chalk it up to being for the fact he never got to have any serious father-son talks with his own dad, despite his wishes. After all, the man was normally too busy working or mentoring Itachi as the next head of the clan.

Soon enough Madara stood up, putting a hand on the teen's head and smiling down at him with an approving look. Sasuke didn't know why, but he felt his pride silently swell at the look of approval the older Uchiha gave him. Madara soon enough removed his hand and moved over to lift the sheets up. He could tell Sasuke was excited by the affection, and he couldn't say he blamed the kid. Even if Madara hadn't agreed with everything his father did, he had still cared deeply for the man's approval when he was younger.

Sitting down on the edge of the bed and lifting the sheets, he motioned Sasuke over to him. Sasuke did as he was motioned to and came over. Soon enough, Madara had pulled him down onto the bed beside him. Sasuke didn't give any resistance, quietly laying beside Madara on the bed. He felt a hand of his back nudging him towards the older man, and obliged quickly by huddling against his chest under the blankets until he finally fell asleep. Normally the elite ninja wouldn't be caught dead in such a position, but he supposed he could allow it just this once for the sake of showing the importance of his lesson.

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The next morning all went to plan, both teens waking up and making breakfast, followed by Sasuke heading out back for training and Itachi heading to the base for the day. Luckily no further spats had started, though Itachi did note he was going to try to get some extra missions to help pay Sasuke back since he knew it must be hard for him to house four people on only his check and allowance. Which the older two pointed out would be difficult with his reputation. This only had him give a light wave of dismissal. They had no idea what he planned to do, but let it go.

So now, with Sasuke out at work and Itachi still at the hideout presumably, they had some time to finally discuss over the previous night's events. Hashirama was practicing kicks on one of the target dummies, Madara practicing hand seals to keep his ninjutsu sharp but careful not to do anything to cause damage to the property or draw them attention. Hashirama asked as he practiced "So, how did things go with Sasuke this morning? He looked pretty upset at Itachi." he noted.

Madara nodded slightly as he opened one of his eyes to glance over at the other "He was. It went well, luckily. That outburst was more than just him being an embarrassed teenager or defensive little brother though. I believe him being around Itachi and I was triggering his curse of hatred. I know you don't know the full extent of what it means but it's difficult to explain to a non-Uchiha. Long story short, he was accidentally mimicking Itachi and I since he's had no Uchiha around to look up to for a good while and with the curse that's dangerous. So I'll have to make sure I'm not rubbing off on him the wrong way and hopefully, Itachi will become more expressive soon to help ease up the pressure on his emotions." he glanced over towards Hashirama "How about Itachi? He looked like a kicked puppy when we left last night."

A sigh escaped Hashirama as he explained "Yeah, apparently he had a nightmare too. About his girlfriend, he had to kill during the massacre. He apparently really did only spare Sasuke. He tried to give her a loving death though." he shook his head back and forth "He trapped her in his Tsukuyomi. Apparently, he slowed it down and gave her the perfect rest of her life. He gave her an illusion of seventy years. That has to be some dedication and require a lot of skill of the Sharingan. He had them get married, all war ended, she fulfilled her dreams, they even had a son together who grew up well. He ended the genjutsu with them dying old together. It was heartbreaking to listen to honestly. Apparently, she died because her body couldn't keep up with her mind and she died thanking him for the life she always wanted with him." he shook his head back and forth "Poor kid was bawling his eyes out on my shoulder until he fell asleep."

"Well, I've definitely never thought of using the power of the Tsukuyomi in such a way, but it sounds like the girl was lucky for him to care enough to plan all that out. No wonder his eyes are so shot, that alone probably popped half his chakra vessels." Madara sighed "At least he got it off his chest though. Sasuke was happy by the end of the talk with me though." he smirked "Never in my life have I seen a kid sit through a lecture that long without getting off track. Then afterward he was fucking happy as could be." he chuckled "Seems like he took it to heart though, so hopefully, we won't be waking up around one in the morning every day. He ended up asleep against me too. Tsk, hard to imagine he offers more body heat than you." he smirked.

Hashirama shook his head back and forth at him "I don't remember agreeing to be your personal heating pat. If you want to go cuddle with Sasuke that bad, I won't stop you. After all, you're probably actually their great, great, great, great grandfather anyway." he smirked, jabbing at Madara's side and earning a growl. Madara stopped practicing and glared at him, crossing his arms with an annoying press of his foot to the ground. He headed over towards the other and continued giving a threatening glare, growing annoyed as Hashirama did nothing to show he was at least sheepish over what he had said.

Quickly a smirk and cocky look crossed his face as he snorted to his longtime friend, "What the hell are you going on about Hashirama, you're older than I am! You had grandchildren by the time you were thirty, think about that!" he through his hand in the air to empathize his point. He watched as Hashirama's face turned a vibrant red, much to his amusement "Besides, they couldn't be directly related to me because I never married or had any kids. Unless one of my cousins had one somewhere along the line, and that doesn't count as direct. So no, Hashirama, your thoughts once again lead to nowhere. It's only to be expected though, you aren't exactly the sharpest kunai up the sleeve if you know what I mean." he smirked before turning back to practicing.

The older male puffed up his cheeks at this "I'm only two years older than you, 'dara. You don't have to be so mean and judge me by my age." he smirked at the exasperated look the ravenette gave him. Ah, some things never changed it seemed. "Besides, it isn't my fault you couldn't get laid, don't blame me. Oh, well, I guess it was kind of my fault. After all, I don't leave much to be desired, eh?" he joked, smirking right back.

Madara turned his head almost robotically, eyebrow twitching before he reached out and swung an arm at the other's head. "Oh, you leave plenty. Let's see: a brain, a sense of maturity, financial stability which doesn't rely on gambling, not rubbing irresponsible habits onto small children-" he listed, Hashirama only pouting at him for all the teasing he had put his through not only toward but through the many years of their usually only half consented friendship. Yes, these two were definitely two of the greatest shinobi in the entire world. Never would there be room for doubt, Madara sarcastically thought to himself as he returned to his ninjutsu practice and Hashirama returned to kicking the practice dummy, both still bantering however as they did so. Soon enough, they knew their boys would be home.


	12. Familiar Faces

The day after the nightmare incident was much calmer. Sasuke seemed to be trying to take Madara's advice to heart and listen to him, as shown by the multiple times the teen looked ready to lash out at Itachi but stopped, always ending up either standing close by him or laying down beside him soon after. Itachi seemed to be trying to take Hashirama's advice about Sasuke too, giving the teen affectionate gestures but making sure to give him space as well. Finally, it was Sunday. A day Sasuke had off from both work and training, and Itachi from the Akatsuki.

Sasuke ended up sleeping in along with Itachi, much to Madara and Hashirama's amusement. The two had worked to create a simple breakfast, much more careful this time around. Eventually, they finished and just around that time, the two brothers came out. Sasuke looked surprised at the lack of explosions, and Itachi content with not having to cook anything. Both took a bowl and sat, offering their thanks. As they sat down, today it was Madara to start their conversation. "So. Hashirama and I have decided that since either of you have much to do today, or any Sunday for that matter, we should take the opportunity to discuss some things."

Eyes drifted to Hashirama for confirmation, which he gave. Sasuke asked, swallowing a bite of his food boredly "What kind of things?" he asked, not sure what could be so important it couldn't be discussed over a meal as they had been doing all week. It was hard to believe it had only been about a week since he had met the two. And for that matter, Itachi had only known the other about four days now that he thought about it. They had definitely grown close fast, that was for sure. Though Itachi was still reluctant to be open with them, Sasuke knew he had always been like that. Sasuke was also pretty independent still, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing he figured.

"Well, first of all, we decided it would probably be best to work on splitting up the responsibilities. It isn't fair for you to have to do them all on your own, not when there are three extra people living here now. It will also be good for us to have something to keep our minds active." Hashirama explained. Itachi nodded and just as the older ninja expected he seemed fine with the idea. "Second of all, we need to talk about the Hokage issue."

This got Itachi's attention. He looked over at Madara and Hashirama, then to Sasuke. He looked over at Madara questioningly but didn't have time to ask before the older Uchiha explained "It has been brought to our attention the current Hokage is unfit to care for the village. He is powerful, but it takes more than the power to lead. We need to work on a plan to get him either to resign or to have him voted out of the position."

Slowly Itachi gave a slight nod, though not completely sure he agreed with this. He hadn't been around the older man much besides when he was receiving orders or giving reports, but if they believed this he was in no place to argue. After all, of course, the original Hokage would know what it meant to be one. Soon enough they all finished and stood to place their bowls in the kitchen. They then headed for the living room.

Sasuke sat down on the couch, Hashirama finding himself comfortable beside him. Itachi rested in the recliner, though kept the footrest down as he knew this was a serious topic and needed to be treated as one. Madara leaned carefully on one of the walls close by, facing the three of them. Madara suggested "Alright, first of all, task assigning. Hashirama left that to me when we were talking between each over and he looked it over. He agrees with me. If either of you doesn't agree, say so and we will try to rearrange them so everyone is content." though he didn't see this being a problem with the younger Uchiha.

"First, Sasuke would be in charge of dinner, dinner dishes, and grocery shopping. Itachi would be in charge of breakfast, breakfast dishes, and laundry. Hashirama would be in charge of working the garden and keeping the upstairs clean. I would be in charge of keeping the back yard and downstairs clean. Everyone would be responsible for their own room." he explained.

Madara had given Sasuke dinner and dinner dishes because he knew Sasuke was a good cook and that way it could be done by the time Itachi arrived home, which tended to be later in the night. Then grocery shopping because, well, he was the only one who could be seen out and about. Itachi was still labeled a criminal and the two older ninjas were supposed to be long dead.

They decided on giving Itachi breakfast and breakfast dishes because he seemed to enjoy cooking breakfast and it didn't seem fair to pile all the cooking onto Sasuke. As for the laundry, to be blunt neither of them wanted to be the one to screw up and accidentally bleach his Akatsuki robes or something. So they figured they would leave that up to him. Along with the fact, neither of them had any idea how to do laundry.

Hashirama had been the perfect choice for working the garden because of his patient nature rather than Madara who would probably end up prematurely picking the plants rather than letting them grow to their full potential. Him getting upstairs was more just a random select, much like how Madara had randomly been selected to get the downstairs. Madara took the outback area mainly because he knew it was something he could do.

Seeing as he heard no complaint and received nods from each of the two younger ones, he listened as Hashirama moved on to the main order of business. "Now. As for the Hokage situation. I'm not quite sure how, but I would like to get him removed from office and replaced with someone else. Madara and I haven't been able to think of many solutions, so we were hoping you two might have some ideas."

The two teens had to take a moment to think. Neither had ever really thought about it before, so it wasn't as though they would be buzzing with ideas. After a few moments, Itachi spoke "Really the only way to have him forcibly removed is by vote unless he dies soon. If you go straight out and say that he isn't fit then most of the adults would quickly turn on you as they see no issues with it. The children most likely wouldn't care less about it. So you would need to think of how to convince the adults that, for the one you're really who you say you are. Then for two, that you still really do have the best interest for the village. Especially you." he motioned to Madara "The reputation of the Uchiha clan has only gone farther and farther down in terms of respect for anything besides power."

Both of the older men nodded in agreement, the brunette opening his mouth to speak but being cut off accidentally by Sasuke. "Not technically, the adults and children may not budge but I can see a lot of the people in my age group listening. Neji and Shikamaru are both very intelligent. Shikamaru's father is usually considerate of what he saids and the man is very important in the government system these days as well as being an amazing ninja once. Then Neji is a prodigy of the Hyuuga clan. He is held in high regard by his uncle, the clan's head. The man even took him from the branch family to train him along with his own two daughters." the teen noted.

He glanced up to see Hashirama and Madara giving a nod in confirmation to continue, Itachi watching him. Sasuke could see Itachi's gears turning, his older brother probably seeing what he was getting to. "So if we managed to convince those two that you two are truly who you say you are then it would be easier to get to the people around them. This would include their teammates such as Kiba or Lee. Kiba is of the Inuzuka clan, and his partner would most likely immediately be able to sense if you two were lying. So if he sees his partner trusts you then he will trust you. This trust spreads to the Inuzuka clan who would never doubt their partners. Lee is a genin who is very close to his sensei, according to Neji. If he shows his trust towards you as well as all the others who would slowly begin to trust you then the sensei would have to check it out themselves."

Quickly the older ninja understood what Sasuke was describing, and it was definitely a good plan as long as it went as he imagined. "If the Sensei meet you then they would, of course, spread it to the other Jonin. If the Jonin know then the chuunin know. Even the children of not so important clans or civilian children would matter after some time. After all, everyone knows most parents are quicker to believe their children over some strangers. So by starting with Neji and Shikamaru, it could cause a domino effect. Not to mention the risk of the news not spreading is slim." he explained his reasoning.

"That sounds brilliant. An attack from within the minds of the citizens. No one would suspect it either until it was too late or had been talked out with another. This would put us on the spot, where we could easily say we were sent back down to deal with the impending darkness that could be moving forward in the world. Which wouldn't be a lie. I have a feeling Indra and Asura would want this dealt with too if they saw it." Madara agreed. "But are you close enough to these boys to ask this of them? How would you get them to meet us if we can't leave?" he questioned.

Sasuke shrugged lightly "I have had conversations with Neji before and Shikamaru doesn't hold any particular grudges against me as far as I know. I could always ask them to come over so we could train or play a few rounds of shoji." not thinking it would be too hard to get them over. He wasn't the most social person, but he was sure he could handle something as simple as inviting a pair of teens over to his house to hang out.

Hashirama seemed hesitant, not liking involving children in adult affairs even if it was something as simple as having them essentially spread gossip. He comforted himself with the reminder that by doing this the entire village would benefit, though he still wasn't one hundred percent thrilled out it. "It's fine by me." glancing over at Madara who nodded in agreeance. Itachi seemed on board too, nodding as the brunette suggested "You could ask him to come over Tuesday, that's the next time you'll be off work. You can stop by their teams training grounds before you come home."

He watched the youngest Uchiha agree, and the conversation took a sudden change for the casual. Madara questioned the teen, wanting to know what he expects when he came home Tuesday. "So, what are these two boys like? I know the Hyuuga clan is well respected and always has been. This Neji must be something to be allowed to train with the head of the family."

"He is very strong. A prodigy of a prodigious clan." he agreed. "What are they like? Well, let's see. Neji is quiet and doesn't speak unless what he's saying is of importance in his mind. He believes firmly in destiny and holds a strong sense of respect. He is book intelligent and hard-working, his natural skills sharpened by his continuous training. Shikamaru is intelligent as well, his IQ high above most of the Jonin even. He's naturally lazy and tries to get out of doing a whole lot. He's observant but usually doesn't care enough to point things out."

Satisfied with this answer, the oldest Uchiha nodded. Soon enough, they were all dispersed and going their own separate ways.

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The day passed on by quicker than Sasuke thought it would. The four of them ate and spoke, interacting with each other casually as though they had been living together their entire lives. Sasuke didn't mind the peaceful air that had seemed to form in the normally dark atmosphere of the home and actually found it to be a nice change. All blessings hide a curse, however, and he suddenly understood why he always heard other kids in his class complaining about having to be up so early to leave the house.

Previously he would have lived outside over staying home all day if given the choice normally. But with such a comfortable sense to it now, it took a lot more effort to leave. One such example being this morning. It was now Tuesday, and Sasuke sat at the table wiping the urge to sleep from his eyes. Itachi was cooking breakfast just as the new distribution of chores called for. Sasuke watched as Itachi sat down the eggs for him, and just like that he was gone. He had eaten his eggs alone until Anko had arrived, and then the two had continued their training. Sasuke now knew a few basic techniques and was glad, but he was starting to miss training with Kakashi and was looking forward to his return.

Finally, training had come to an end, and Sasuke found himself sighing lightly. He took a quick shower and changed since he knew the others would be training until noon at the least. He then headed outside, calling "I'm leaving now to go ask the others. Be back in an hour or two." he had taken to giving time ranges for the older ninja after the original issue where they nearly had a heart attack when he was out later than expected.

He headed to Shikamaru's training ground first, since it was closest. He approached with his hands in his pockets, finding himself slightly unsure of how to start the conversation. He noticed that Asuma was still training with his team, plus Sakura. So he moved to lean on a nearby tree, not wanting to disturb them in the middle of training. Choji was sparing with Shikamaru, meanwhile, Ino was practicing her taijutsu on a nearby tree. Unfortunately, he must not have done a good enough job of staying out of sight because he caught Asuma glancing at him out of the corner of his eye before the man stopped and pulled the cigarette from his lip, "Alright team 10, that'll be enough for today. See you all tomorrow." he spoke before parting with them.

Shikamaru stayed in the same spot as Choji headed off with Ino in another direction, probably home. Sasuke sighed internally, hoping that Shikamaru and Asuma were just smart naturally sensitive to their surroundings and he hadn't been that easy to spot. He stepped out from the tree, slowly making his way over towards the other teen. Sasuke kept his appearance calm, or so he hoped. Because if he looked as awkward or nervous as he felt he would probably look like an idiot. "Hey, Shikamaru." he greeted, the pierced teen nodding in greetings. "So, you guys got off training early today. That must be cool," he noted.

"I guess." he heard Shikamaru agree "I was getting bored anyway. Why were you let out of training before noon?" he questioned, looking over at the black-haired teen. He didn't say much, but that didn't particularly surprise Sasuke. After all, he was pretty sure Shikamaru was too lazy to bother with talking in complete sentences. Sasuke only shrugged at this in return, and he could tell based on the weary look he was receiving that the shadow user was growing tired of the miscellaneous chatter.

Sasuke decided to go straight to the point and asked "So, I was thinking about asking Neji to come over to my house to train or play a few rounds of Shoji. You want to join?" he suggested finally. He watched Shikamaru reach up to scratch the back of his head. Sasuke could tell by his expression that was the last thing the other was expecting to be asked, though he didn't seem too annoyed by it.

Finally, Shikamaru spoke "Man, I have no idea where you live. It's not far away is it?" he asked and started walking towards the other training grounds. Sasuke shook his head back and forth, pointing over towards the side of the village. "Your house is on the edge of the village? That's such a long walk. How troublesome." though he continued on towards the area both knew Gai was training his squad in. Sasuke assumed that meant it was a yes then at least.

"Yeah, I live in the Uchiha compound on the edge of town," he confirmed. They soon enough arrived at the training site for Gai's team, which luckily was just winding down to an end since it was around noon. TenTen was putting her weapons up, and Neji was deactivating his Byakugan. Gai and Lee were nowhere to be seen, probably off continuing training one on one. Sasuke glanced at Neji as he saw the other make eye contact, and he couldn't help but move his eyes to the veins covering the side of his face until they calmed. Sasuke knew it was hypocritical of him to get annoyed when others asked him why the Uchiha's eyes always bled and then get curious about the veins on the Hyuuga's temples, but he couldn't help it.

Soon enough Neji headed over to them, greeting them with a polite bow of his head "Hello Sasuke, Shikamaru. What brings you here?" he asked, glancing at each of them as he spoke their names. He could see Sasuke coming to speak with him after his training, mainly because the two often ended up sparring after both finished with their senseis, but he wasn't sure why Shikamaru would be with him today.

Sasuke was calmed down from his initial nerves since for one he was much more familiar with Neji and for another, he had already got a yes from Shikamaru at least. "Hello, Neji. I was just going to head back to my house to do some training or play a few rounds of Shoji with Shikamaru, so I was wondering if you would be interested in joining too?" he offered. Neji gave a nod of understanding and without any more words, the three young ninjas were off towards the direction Sasuke had told Shikamaru.

He knew neither of them had ever probably been in the compound before but was sure all would be fine. After all, Neji grew up in the Hyuuga compound and Shikamaru in the Nara compound. So it couldn't be that different from what they were used to.

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Apparently, it could be that different. As Sasuke entered in the gates which had a large design of his clan's crest on it, he watched Shikamaru's brows raise slightly and Neji's eyes dart around to take the surroundings in. Sasuke continued on along with them, glancing around to see what could possibly be so odd to them. Then he realized, the two probably weren't expecting the structure types.

He knew Konoha had gone through a lot of changes in the last ten or twenty years, the oldest thing there probably being the ramen shop, but he only then realized really how old fashioned the compound was. The sharp contractions, of course, were visible clearly now that it had been silently pointed out, but before that, it had completely slipped his mind. In the village, they mostly build with drywall and bricks, but in the Uchiha compound nearly everything was made solely from wood. The beams that supported the walls or even stood for the sole purpose of decoration were rose up to the sky in a way they just didn't build buildings anymore.

The Nara clan was designed to be a much more future like, while the Uchiha remained with the same design it had held when Madara founded it himself. They had recreated the style when it had been moved, according to the records in the Uchiha meeting place. The Hyuuga was similar, also respecting tradition. Sasuke assumed Shikamaru's response was from hold old it looked, and Neji's probably from how uncared for it was. Sasuke felt a hint of guilt as he realized the buildings were also dusted and old, probably making it look like a ghost town. He had tried to keep it somewhat decent at least on the outside of the shops, but he had been so worn out from training and work lately he hadn't got a chance to even spare the old buildings a glance. The only place which looked taken care of was the family shrine.

Sasuke quickly moved towards his house at a slightly faster pace, not wanting either of them to bring up the poor compound's neglect. Luckily neither of them said anything, and soon they arrived. He glanced back behind him and gave a slight wave inside "This is it." he motioned to the main house. They all soon headed inside, each taking turns to slip off his shoes and place them neatly by the door. Sasuke saw Hashirama lounging on the couch, flipping through the pages in a book.

He disregarded him, not wanting it to look like the only reason he brought the others home was to introduce them. Hashirama didn't even look up from the book as he stayed focused on it. He could sense eyes falling on him, and allowed them to get a good look at his face as he read. He decided, he would wait for one of the two to speak to him, if they did. Madara was in the back yard working on some taijutsu since Sasuke said they would be using the inside unless one of the others wanted to go out.

Shikamaru looked over at the man on the couch, his eyes immediately falling over his features. His mind immediately linked it to the many books they had forced them to read during class in the academy along with the large stone statue of Hashirama's face, and couldn't help but notice the similarities. He swiftly dispelled it, not wanting to worry about it. Neji looked over at the man, noticing the resemblance as well but quickly removed his eyes so he wasn't seen staring. Shikamaru stuffed his hands in his pockets, interrupting the thick silence "Your house is pretty nice, Sasuke. It's a lot different from the village or my house." he yawned as they headed towards the back training room.

Neji nodded in agreement "It's very nice. I suppose it's true then, the Uchiha do really value tradition just as the Hyuuga do. I've never actually been in the Uchiha's compound before." he noted. Sasuke nodded, sending his thanks to them as they entered the training area. Shikamaru leaned on a wall, allowing the other two to go first. The two started the sparring, Neji activating his Byuakugan and Sasuke doing the same for his Sharingan. They began by sending kicks and punches at the other, slowly progressing into Neji aiming for his chakra points and Sasuke moving into copying the other's moves so in sync that he dodged before the other had the chance to hit. Eventually, however, after a good twenty minutes, Sasuke tired and wound up smacking his head against the floor along with the rest of his body.

He sat up slowly, knowing he had lost and allowed Neji to fix his chakra points he had managed to press. Then it was Shikamaru's turn to fight Neji. The two went back and forth, Neji switching off his byuakugan as he didn't tend to use it in practice besides when he fought against Sasuke, who assured him it was fine. The two fought for a few moments, Neji's taijutsu finishing the shadow user off pretty quickly. They each took a few turns fighting until eventually, the back door opened.

Madara walked in from outside, a towel in his right hand as he walked past the teens, obviously just finished training. Shikamaru stopped mid-fight with Neji, who did the same to look over at the much larger male. Finally, Shikamaru sat down on the floor, arms behind him as he leaned on them. "Alright Sasuke, I know it doesn't matter, but why are there two grown men walking around your house looking identical to Lord First and Madara Uchiha?" he questioned.

Sasuke shrugged as he resumed kicking the dummy "They live here, and they look identical because it's them. They showed up last week, long story short they're resurrected. I know it's annoying having them lunging around but they're way too strong for me to get rid of. I tried." he admitted sheepishly. Shikamaru and Neji just watched him, Neji not blinking once and Shikamaru blinking rapidly and like he had a headache.

"Excuse me?" they asked, both unsure how on earth anything like that could have happened.


	13. Prove It

Neji stayed quiet, glancing over at the older ninja from the training room suspiciously. "Sasuke, I don't think it's safe to be in this house right now. For anyone." glancing over at his training partner, which was slowly starting to fall closer into the category of friend each day. "I'm not saying I don't trust your judgment, but those men out there couldn't be Madara and Lord First. They're dead, and if those two were reanimated then they would have darkened eyes and cracks of some sort." he reasoned.

It seemed Shikamaru wasn't too convinced either as he leaned on the wall; all training paused for now. "Yeah, plus look at how they're just sitting next to each other. They're even talking. No way they could get along that well. Didn't Hashirama kill Madara, and wasn't Madara all vengeful or something?" he pointed out. He looked over to Sasuke, who now sat on one of the training mats beside Neji.

Of course, it made sense that the two wouldn't believe it, so Sasuke wasn't too surprised he would be answering questions for now. "They were sent down by Indra and Asura." glancing over at Shikamaru since he knew Neji knew who they were "Those are the two sons of Hagoromo, the brother to Hamura. Both are sons to the creator of chakra, Kaguya. Hagoromo created the Uchiha and Senju by splitting his Yin Chakra and Yang Chakra. Hamura did the same with him, creating the Hyuuga and Ootsutsuki. Being the grandson of the creator of Chakra, Indra and Asura both have great power. They used that power to bring Madara and Hashirama back."

Neji rubbed a hand over his forehead, "How do you know those two are telling the truth though? I have no doubt of the power of my cousin clan's ancestors, but would they really send someone down? What reason did they give?" he asked wearily, not wanting Sasuke to end up being caught in a genjutsu or something of the sort. He knew the Sharingan had the power to easily put other's minds in a trance, with the exception of the Hyuuga clan. After all, the Sharingan's counterpart couldn't trick the all-seeing white eye, or eyes of truth as he had heard it called before.

Sasuke explained "He showed me with his Sharingan. If he was a fake he wouldn't have one, or I would have heard about it. My clan always made a huge deal over the protection of their eyes. I fought him on the night he arrived and he had god-like powers." avoiding directly saying that he had got his ass kicked in the fight. "I would have known or at least heard about him if he was a blood relative from this time period. The image he showed told me that they sent him to held keep darkness from the world because it was threatening the peace that had finally managed to be built."

Having been previously quiet for most of the conversation, Shikamaru spoke up. "Why doesn't the man show Neji the vision. His Byakugan would be able to sense any lies. So if it doesn't show any sign of falseness, it will confirm it. That way you have a double check just in case." he nodded slightly and glanced over at Neji, who seemed to agree it was the best course of action. After all, neither could leave Sasuke's house guilt-free knowing he could very well be killed by a couple of look-alikes.

Nodding in agreeance, Sasuke led them into the living room where Hashirama was still reading and Madara now sat on the other end of the couch. As they approached Sasuke noticed Shikamaru go to his side, and Neji stop just in front of Sasuke. He wasn't sure why until he noticed Shikamaru was between him and Hashirama while Neji was blocking his halfway from Madara. The teen felt a slight smile of appreciation on his lips at the casual movements, Hashirama and Madara noticing it as well and finding themselves slightly amused.

After a brief second Madara looked up, finally acknowledging their presence. Neji had his hands folded politely in front of him as he gave a slight bow of his head, body remaining ready to be pulled into a battle, however, just in case the two got hostile at them when they were questioned. "Hello. I am Neji Hyuuga, and this is Shikamaru Nara. Sasuke has told us you claim to be Madara Uchiha and Lord First. This is doubtful, and as such, I would like to request to see your supposed meeting with Indra and Asura." his Byakugan appearing as he spoke.

Madara seemed to consider this for a moment before nodding. The teen had spoken politely, though he could hear the warning tone the younger ninja had taken. He took no offense to this doubt, of course, understanding they were concerned for Sasuke's safety. Madara flashed his own Sharingan, and for the brief moment that they met, the two felt a shiver silently run through their veins. They knew the special chakra in their eyes were reacting to each other, and could only hope nothing would go wrong along the way.

Soon the entire scene was flashing through Neji's mind, all the while the young prodigy looked for any signs of a lie in his chakra flow. He didn't see any, and as the image stopped Neji felt his hands reach up to cover his eyes slowly until they deactivated. He wavered slightly, nearly losing his footing. He took a moment to gather himself before lowering his hands slightly. Madara didn't make any comments about it, knowing the younger teen had most likely never been in the depths of the Sharingan even if he trained with Sasuke. Shikamaru was looking over at Neji, weary of his silence and obvious discomfort. After a brief moment, Neji nodded slightly. He knew it was the truth.

Now that it was confirmed by the other, Shikamaru was sure it was true even if he probably shouldn't do so that easily. Shikamaru was the one to break the silence, which had resulted from Neji's embarrassment at accusing someone as powerful as Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju of lying. He muttered his classic 'Man, what a drag', shoving his hands in his pockets and glancing off to the side. Madara raised his brow at this, Hashirama being unsuccessful in hiding his laugh at the teen's words. "What's so troublesome about it? Shouldn't it be good that there are two more people to help protect the village from whatever's coming?" he offered.

The oldest Uchiha wasn't sure why the teen was so miserable sounding about the news that they were really in this world to help. "If two god-like spirits are interfering, it must be pretty important that whatever is happening stops. If it's important then it'll take a lot of effort." Shikamaru yawned. He by now was sitting in the recliner, Sasuke and Neji sitting by the coffee table. Madara noted that the teen did make a good point, but still. He was so negative about it he wondered the extent of his laziness.

Hashirama smiled thinly at the teen "Don't worry, I doubt you all will have to do much even if you are a ninja of the village. We know what's wrong." glancing at Neji "Along with what you saw." then switching his views back to Shikamaru, "It's not that sort of issue. This one resides in the village itself. You might have to deal with hearing your father talk about it since Sasuke mentioned he's involved in government, but besides that, you shouldn't have anything to be involved in if you don't want to be."

The shadow user seemed content with this, only offering a grunt of 'hn' in response. Neji asked "What's wrong with the village?" looking over to Hashirama and Madara. He hadn't said anything since getting out of the Sharingan world but found this to be an important piece of information the two were continuously skimming over despite saying how important it was time and time again.

Deciding it was time to tell the two exactly what was going on, Hashirama spoke. They decided that the teens probably didn't have such a good image of him in their heads, Sasuke and Itachi being exceptions since they were raised by a clan far too proud to admit it's faulted. In the end, they knew it was better they hear it from the original Hokage since they probably would be more trusting towards his words. "The Third Hokage. He is not deserving of his title. He continuously puts the village at risk as well as not treating the entire village as equals. He has done some terrible things as well, which I'm not sure I should mention as of yet. The point being, he needs to be replaced by someone worthy of the spot who will protect the village not only on the outside but also from threats within." he explained.

Just as he expected the two were filled with questions just as they had been when talking with Sasuke about it. Neji was the one to speak, but Shikamaru was listening and eyeing both the older ninja. "How is he putting the village at risk? What villagers are being mistreated? With all due respect Lord First, it's not going to get your case very far with the villagers if the only reason you can give is 'because he is not deserving'. You'll need specific cases if you plan to bring this to them. Unless you're just planning on killing him." he noted as a second thought.

Sasuke ended up standing, leaving the room to get them some tea. This was also a silent excuse for himself to leave, not wanting to be there when the older two would be forced to tell both of his friends about Itachi. He knew it was necessary to get the point across, but that changed nothing. Madara spoke finally "You are correct about it being necessary. We will tell you two first and are trusting you two to do what you believe is right to do with the information. We are not planning to kill the man. He will be removed from the office and replaced hopefully. He puts villagers at risk by allowing cruel men such as Danzo to rise to power. He allows the military to take small villages, and that does nothing but build hate towards Konoha. He allows dangerous criminals such as Orochimaru to live on due to personal attachment. He shows a lack of compassion for Naruto and Sasuke both, and if he can not be compassionate to the children who need him most how could he be compassionate enough to think for the village over his self."

Neji and Shikamaru seemed to be absorbing all the information, and it seemed as though it was time for the main reason both ninjas were so against Hiruzen. "He has also purposely ruined the innocence that comes with being a child. You two are aware of Sasuke's older brother, Itachi Uchiha, I'm sure. Said to of ended the Uchiha clan in one night. Did you know though, that he was ordered to do so by the third Hokage?" Madara revealed, Neji's eyes widening slightly and Shikamaru's mouth parting slightly. "I will not give full details as it is not my story to tell. But it was killing the clan, risk war, or Sasuke dies. He held the life of a ten-year-old boy over Itachi's head. He had no choice. He was then sent off to do some more dirty work for the village, stamped as an S-Class criminal. Hiruzen has no right to control the village and use his power to blackmail children."

Soon enough Sasuke returned and gave everyone their tea, Neji looking silently overwhelmed with all the information. On one hand, he felt it was his responsibility to be on the Hokage's side but then on another all the things he had done. Neji couldn't believe that the same man who came to give their class talks about the Will of Fire or visited the Hyuuga compound to share tea over the latest news in the village would do all this. But what choice did he have?

Shikamaru quietly looked down in his cup of tea, hating the fact that he couldn't just leave it alone. Normally when he felt pressure come over him to do the right thing, he would ignore it and do what he wanted. However, this was huge and he knew it. It wasn't just him having to make the choice on whether or not he should sleep in class or not. He knew exactly what this was. This was Neji and him being asked to spread the information, and he knew it had been planned. He finally brought the tea up to his lips, looking at Madara over the edge of the cup. His eyes were narrowed slightly, but Madara's remained relaxed.

Madara could tell by the way Shikamaru looked over his cup that he knew exactly what was being asked of them. Shikamaru really was intelligent even if he didn't show it. Madara found himself impressed that the teen was able to see what they wanted so easily. Much to the two guest's surprise, it was Hashirama who pulled out a box from under the end table. Hashirama set down the box of Shoji and began setting it up, smiling thinly "You two can do what you want with the information, but that's enough of that. Let's all play some Shoji." he suggested.

First of all, it was Neji against Shikamaru. The two took a good fifteen minutes before finishing out with Shikamaru just barely winning. Then it was Sasuke against Hashirama, and it was then that conversation picked back up. Madara asked Neji as they waited on their turn "So, from what I hear you're a member of the branch family of the Hyuuga clan. You must be advanced for your age to be allowed to be living with the main family." he noted.

Neji nodded slightly as he agreed "It isn't so odd. The members of the branch family need to be close to the main house so they can serve them." he explained. He watched as Sasuke ended up just barely losing out to the older male. Hashirama smiled at the younger, who moved over. The next match was Madara against Hashirama. The older Uchiha didn't bother stopping his conversation as he spoke.

"I see. I know what a branch family is, but the Hyuuga didn't have one during my time. I take it the branch is in charge of keeping the main family safe. It's a noble job you take part in if so. I hear that the Hyuuga clan has two daughters. You protect them I'm assuming? I must admit I will always wonder why the Hyuuga are so defensive that they are strong but then have guards set on them." he chuckled.

The Hyuuga nodded slightly "I am in charge of serving the entire head family, though the specific person I am assigned to keep an eye on is Lady Hinata. She is the elder daughter. I'm actually the only one left in the branch family, so soon it will be gone just like before." he explained and Madara raised a brow at how casually he spoke of his oncoming death.

Shikamaru decided this was the best time he was going to get the chance to ask. "Hey Neji, when you die will that marking on your forehead disappear too? Does it have like a jutsu in it or did you just want a tattoo? No hate, but I don't see you being the type to get a tattoo just to cover it up." he pointed out. For obvious reasons, the older ninja's eyes flickered to the teen's forehead only to see the tattoo must be covered by the headband.

"No, it won't disappear. It is sort of a jutsu but more like a seal. It is a tattoo, but with the chakra of the main household sealed in it." he explained. He was now with Sasuke on the couch, somehow having ended up Sasuke showing him his sword while the two spoke. Finally, the game of Madara and Hashirama ended, Madara, winning in the end. Next up it was Madara against Shikamaru.

Although it seemed wrong to ask, Madara and Hashirama couldn't help being curious as to why they would have such a tattoo on him. Madara resisted the urge to ask, but Hashirama came out to say what they along with Shikamaru were thinking. Sasuke actually already knew from previous conversations. "Why have a tattoo with the main house's hold chakra put on you? Is it so they can sense where you are?" he asked.

Briefly, Madara and Hashirama saw a look in his eye, one of raw hatred. It quickly melted into his composure as he spoke with a tight jaw, "It is a simple marking that the main house put on me, my father, as well as the other second-born children and their children. He was the younger twin so he was branded with it. The tattoo was placed on my father and I so the main family could punish us when they see fit and protect the secrets of our eyes by destroying them when we die. It's mainly a precaution against an uprising within our clan."

It was fairly obvious they wouldn't be talking more about it as Neji stood up, muttering about being right back and then heading into the bathroom. A strained silence followed after, Madara closing his eyes. Suddenly he wasn't in the mood to play anymore. They ended up putting the game away fairly quick, Sasuke heading to the kitchen to make dinner.

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After being warned that Itachi would be arriving home soon, but still being welcomed to stay for dinner, they both ended up staying and thanking them as well. Soon enough they were all seated at the table, which would be completely full once Itachi got home. Neji sat quietly yet straight with his hands folded into his lap and head bowed lightly, not having said anything after the seal conversation besides the quick 'thank you' for dinner. Shikamaru was sitting slouched over slightly but had his hands in his lap to keep from putting his elbows on the table as it was rude.

Sasuke had his back straightened with his head bowed, though his elbows rested on the table out of the habit of being alone. Hashirama was sitting straight through his head was rose with a slight smile at the teens. He could tell Sasuke's friends weren't calm around him, but that was to be expected. Madara was seated with his back straight and his normal serious look, hands on the table just as Sasuke's were. Itachi entered, and his eyes flinched openly at seeing the two younger teens, getting ready to quickly back out.

"Itachi, it's alright. These are the two boys Sasuke was talking about. We explained the Hokage and your situation." Hashirama called seeing the teen backing out quietly. Itachi stopped backing out and seemed to consider it before he headed inside. He sat down in the only open seat. He was beside Neji and Sasuke, across from him being Shikamaru and the other two men. Everyone was quick to thank Sasuke, dinner beginning quickly after.

As they ate Hashirama asked "So Itachi, you actually do something today or do they still have you lounging around?" he joked, taking a bite of his food as he did so. Shikamaru found it a bit odd they would have Itachi show up just to do nothing. He internally smirked- sign him up. Neji was surprised they were speaking during dinner since he had always heard it was rude to do so. He himself wouldn't know since he hadn't eaten with his family in ages. He preferred to eat in his room, so he did. He didn't say this of course as it wasn't his house or place to say something.

Itachi looked mildly annoyed "I believe I figured out why the leader has me stay all day when we aren't doing anything. He's testing my patience. Which is beginning to run low. If I walk through the door once more and get trampled by those idiots I am going to kill them." taking a bite of his food. He glanced at Sasuke "How's your sword training going?" he asked his younger brother, wondering if he had improved any.

"Fine. Anko has moved on to teaching actual techniques. Kakashi should be back by tomorrow." he noted. He looked over at Shikamaru, and slowly the table began chattering about idle things. Sasuke began chatting with Shikamaru, Hashirama turned his talking to Madara, and eventually, Itachi spoke to Neji. He could see how rigid the teen's posture was, much like his own. He had no idea what, but something was definitely unsettled with Neji. Itachi guessed it was being around three incredibly strong ninjas, ones that he definitely shouldn't be near.

Dinner finished rather smoothly with Sasuke getting up to do the dishes. Shikamaru and Neji both bowed to Sasuke, Madara, and Hashirama, thanking them for having them over and for sharing the information with them. Hashirama grinned "No problem. You two are welcome over any time. It was nice to do something this afternoon." he assured them before standing up straight "Though I just realized, it's rather late and dark. I hope you two won't be in trouble for this." he worried.

To be honest he was specifically worried for Neji, even if the teen didn't seem to care too much of how dark it was. He never really interacted with any Hyuuga, so he had no idea if they were cruel enough to punish Neji for being out late. He hoped not. He had no idea how painful the seal was but based on the young teen's reaction when asked about it, the seal had been used before and was painful. He decided he would rather not have them walk alone, even if he did risk being seen. "Here, let me bring you two home." pulling his hair up into a bun using a stray hair tie nearby. He used a quick jutsu to make him look a bit different facial feature-wise and motioned for them to follow.

He concealed his chakra, knowing he could just say he didn't want to be caught alone at night if questioned. He knew he still looked similar to himself as he couldn't change much, but it was dark so he was hoping that would help. He first dropped Shikamaru off. As they walked towards the Nara compound, he made sure to glance up. The sky was beautiful, littered with hundreds of stars. He smiled thinly "The night is beautiful. You have such a nice view of the compound, Shikamaru."

Nodding his head in agreement, Shikamaru looked up at the sky. "Yeah. It is." quiet for a moment as he thought over something before asking "Why are you looking up at the stars, Lord First? They are amazing but I thought it was a waste of your time to spent it looking at the sky." he noted, looking up at it next to them as they walked. They finally reached just in front of Shikamaru's house and stopped.

Hashirama smiled down at him as he spoke "A waste of time? Yes, I suppose some would say that. I just personally feel like we should appreciate the serenity of the moment. There will never be another like it." he noted. Then the door opened to show a man who looked similar to Shikamaru, but with a pair of scars running down the left of his face. The man walked down the stairs slowly until he stood in front of Hashirama. "Hello sir, I am an acquaintance of Sasuke Uchiha. I'm afraid he had your son over for some training and Shoji, but we got distracted by dinner. I hope we haven't caused you any trouble." Hashirama apologized to the man.

He could see the brunette reach up to move a tired hand over his face as before speaking "It's no trouble at all. I thank you for bringing him home." he thanked him, both bowing before going their separate ways. Neji now walked with Hashirama alone towards the Hyuuga compound, Hashirama returning to stargazing.

After a brief moment of silence Neji spoke "Lord First, may I ask you something?" he questioned. Receiving a nod and Hashirama turning to look at him Neji continued "What's it like, passing away. As in, after death, what is there?" have been wondering about it since Hashirama mentioned living for the moment. His thoughts drifted to his father, and he couldn't help but feel slightly saddened. The question had haunted him since his death back when Neji was only four or so. He wanted to know if his father was resting peacefully.

"I do not know if it is the same for everyone, but for me, it was like deep sleep. It was comforting. I like to think this is the case for everyone." turning to glance at the young teen, "I realize you've only met me today, but I wish to tell you right now. I can't say I know the Hyuuga or their customs, but if you ever need a release from it you are welcome to come train with me, Sasuke, or I'm sure Madara wouldn't mind. I personally don't believe it's right that you have been branded, but that is only my opinion. If you enjoy your lot in life then enjoy it. I'll be happy for you." he smiled.

Neji was looking down at the floor, thanking him for the invitation for training. As an afterthought, he added, "I can't say I enjoy my lot in life too much. But it's my lot and others have far worse. I'll make it work. At least it's good to know I'll be able to rest peacefully for an eternity one day." he pursed his lips into a smile as they arrived. Neji gave a light bow to the older man and headed inside. Hashirama could see a man talking to Neji and the teen bowing, but couldn't much else as the door shut. He turned to leave, letting out a breath.


	14. Even the Akatsuki Listens for Gossip

That night both Neji and Shikamaru found themselves with one of their family members. Neji ended up heading to Hinata's room. She and he were by no means in a good relationship, with him slowly beginning to hate her more and more each day.

But he knew if he wanted to help word spread, he should talk to the heiress. Shikamaru ended up laying on the couch with his father. Both understood why they had been told the information. They needed to get it out, and both knew the best way was to spread it through person to person.

Neji entered Hinata's room to see her sitting at a dark, reading through one of her books. He headed over to seat himself in a chair, Hinata noticing him quickly and laying down her book.

She turned towards her older cousin "N-Neji? What brings y-you here?" her silver eyes prodding over at him as she spoke. She wasn't used to her older cousin coming into her room, so figured he must have a reason. She turned around, putting her hands in her lap.

The older Hyuuga crossed his legs as he calmly spoke "Hinata. We need to speak over something I've just learned today. It is of great importance to the clan and as well to the village. You will one day become the head of the clan. I speak to you because it is of great importance, yet I doubt the clan head will listen to me if I speak. So I need you to speak on my behalf." he explained.

Hinata gave a shy nod and he sighed. How would someone as soft and fragile as she ever becomes head of the clan? "I have just returned from the Uchiha compound where I was training and playing Shoji with Sasuke and Shikamaru."

He took a breath, knowing how ridiculous he would probably sound "I was also playing with a pair of older men. They are legends who should have died long ago. They did, actually, but were brought back. By the original ancestors of the Uchiha and Senju households, Indra and Asura. Those two people are Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju. They have been brought back to this world to stop a great evil which has begun to corrupt the village." glancing up to see Hinata's widened eyes and quite frankly, she looked terrified.

"Madara showed me a vision of them being sent down using his Sharingan. I checked for signs of lies using my Byakugan but found nothing. It all checks out. They told me the corruption they have been sent down to take care of is the Hokage. He has allowed powerful and greedy men to rise to power such as Danzo. He has allowed the village to be attacked by Orochimaru many times. There are multiple people who have been treated unfairly by him. Naruto and Sasuke both being prime examples."

Hinata's attention was caught by the mention of her longtime crush "N-Naruto? Sasuke? W-What did he do to them?" she asked nervously. She hated the idea of Naruto being hurt or mistreated, but the idea of Sasuke being mistreated also sat badly in her stomach.

She wasn't close with him, but she still didn't want either of them hurt. "I-Is it because they're orphans?" she suggested since that was all she could think of that they really had in common.

"I believe so. He has generally been uncompassionate to both but took it a step farther with Sasuke. You remember our cousin clan's massacre, how Itachi killed off the whole clan beside Sasuke. Well, that wasn't the full story. Hiruzen put orders on Itachi to kill the clan otherwise have Sasuke killed. Or allow war to break out. He then forced Itachi to join a criminal organization to be a double agent. Those are only the moral things wrong with him. As far as leading goes he is also poor at it. By killing off the Uchiha he cut down forty percent of the village military. He also allows the military to attack small villages, enhancing hate toward us and prodding towards war. This can not be allowed to continue. They plan to remove him through a public vote." Neji explained calmly.

Shakily, Hinata had her hands brought up to her mouth. She looked like she would throw up at any moment, her body trembling and eyes widened. "That's t-terrible. W-who should I tell? I-I don't want anyone else to have to s-suffer under him if he's truly so c-cruel." speaking more words directly to Neji now than she had in years. Neji found himself satisfied with her trust in him along with her willingness to step up.

Neji looked over at her with silver eyes full of calm determination, "The clan leader, your teammates, your sensei, friends, anyone and everyone. Just not the Hokage. We should let it spread through people first until it's believed. If it comes to a trial, we have people I'm sure would be willing to testify. Shikamaru also knows, so hopefully, it will get around to the adults with his father's position." he firmly spoke.

Hinata nodded thinly- she was scared, but it was a chance to prove herself to her father and Neji. She would help the village and Naruto.

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Shikamaru sat on the couch with his father, the older man turning on the television and switching through a few channels. Shikamaru saw one of the channels held Hiruzen's image, making his mind track back to all that had happened today.

He glanced at his father who sighed and shut the television off as there was nothing to watch. The man sat beside Shikarmaru, who let out a breath. "Dad?"

The older ninja had guessed his son had something to say since he had glanced at him at least three times in the last five minutes alone. He raised a brow at the teen as he motioned for him to continue on.

Shikamaru asked finally "I need to tell you some information I learned today. It is going to sound ridiculous, but hear me out. I have a reliable source which saids the information is true. I normally wouldn't bother getting involved with other problems, so that should tell you something. This is huge, and will affect the entire village."

He now had Shikaku's full attention, the man nodded slightly and looking over towards his son. "I will keep an open mind to what you say as always, Shikamaru. If something is wrong with the village you need to tell me so I can speak with the Hokage about it as well as the other clan heads if it concerns them. Start with what is happening then go on to your sources and the proof that they are trustworthy." he instructed.

"First of all, Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju are back alive, living in the Uchiha compound with my classmate, Sasuke. That man you met outside was Hashirama with a feature blurring jutsu and his hair up. Second of all, the issue is the Hokage himself. Madara and Hashirama have returned to work to have him demoted and replaced as they along with Indra and Asura, the creators of the Uchiha and Senju clans, do not believe he is worthy of the title. He lets selfish men rise to power such as Danzo. He lets the village be attacked by Orochimaru and others who were once close to him. There are multiple people who have been mistreated by him. Naruto and Sasuke for example." he started off.

He was being blunt, but he knew with his father the man wanted facts, not opinions and perfect manners. "He has also mistreated Itachi Uchiha, the one who ended his entire clan in a single night. He had him attack the clan then sent him off as a double agent for a dangerous organization. If he refused he would be left with three options. Being killed, having Sasuke killed, or having a war started. He allows the military to take over smaller villages, which will lead to hate and then later war. When he ordered the Uchiha clan's death, he took out forty percent of Konoha's military." he listed them off sharply.

Now moving to the sources he laced his fingers together "Neji of the Hyuuga clan has seen this in a vision Madara gave him using the Sharingan. The Sharingan is known to deceive, but it can not lie to the eyes of truth. Neji watched the scene and found no traces of lying. He is a prodigy of his clan and I fully trust he would not miss anything. We also had dinner, where Itachi returned for the night. He ate calmly and maturely with us, never making a threatening gesture and actually being polite and playful with Sasuke to some extent. Sasuke and Naruto could confirm Hiruzen's mistreatment, Itachi could confirm he was ordered to kill them with the mission scroll received for taking part in S-Rank missions, Orochimaru is already a known threat who hasn't been dealt with which proved my point along with Danzo. There is no denying the other charges."

His father said nothing for a long while before finally, the man spoke in a calm voice "You do realize they most likely sent you this information to spread it to me, so I would spread it to other clan leaders. Who else knows about it? Any others besides you and Neji that you know of?"

Shaking his head back and forth the younger of the two looked at his father "Just me, Neji, whoever Neji tells, and you so far." he explained.

As his father got up off the counter, the man put a hand on his son's head before heading out. Shikamaru knew he would pull through and spread the word. He smoothed over his hair tiredly then moved on to his bedroom. He needed a nap.

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The next morning was Wednesday. Itachi had returned to the Akatsuki hideout to find chaos. He had assumed with the word being spread that Hashirama and Madara's return going around that there would be some questioning on Tobi.

Only a select few people knew of Tobi's supposed identity. Pain, Konan, Zetsu, Kisame, and Itachi were the only ones who knew as the first three were the original of the current Akatsuki generation with Tobi. As for how Itachi and Kisame found out, well, Itachi couldn't be a spy and ignore traces of suspicion.

He had ended up going straight to Pain and Konan after hearing snips about who Tobi 'truly' was. Long story short, he had been allowed in on it and he had told Kisame.

Apparently, it looked like Konan and Pain had requested Tobi alone and the masked ninja had remained in his fake persona. Deidara, Hidan, Sasori, and Kakuzu all stood around Tobi who was glaring at Pain with crossed arms through his mask.

Pain was looking him over coldly, and Konan was looking defensive. Tobi finally threw his hands up in the air "You all are so mean to Tobi! Tobi is a good boy, Tobi tells no lies!"

Pain's mouth was formed into a tight frown as he spoke "Tobi. I said we need to speak in private with Zetsu and Kisame. Itachi is here now as well and he will join us. Come. Stop throwing a fit." he demanded, glancing over at Itachi.

An idea popped into Pain's head as he threatened "Or if you prefer, we could fill the others in on what's going on now that you've thrown a fit and refused. Perhaps they could give there two cents, hm?"

Deidara was growing annoyed by now, clenching his fists as he spoke "Come on, you guys can't be keeping us out of the loop here, all four of us you aren't telling are the ones you forced into this group! What the hell could Tobi have to hide that's so terrible, Hidan kills people for someone he doesn't know exists, Kakuzu kills people for money, Kisame killed his commands for fun, Itachi up and decided to murder an entire clan, and Sasori makes puppets out of fucking human corpses! What could possibly be so bad we can't know!" he demanded.

With a long sigh, Itachi spoke, heading over "I believe telling them is necessary at this point, Pain." glancing over at the man who nodded slightly.

"Tobi is an Uchiha, as you all know. But, he has also claimed to be Madara Uchiha from the start. Problem is, with the new rumors going on about Madara and Hashirama's return, I find it difficult to believe this is Madara. Nor do I appreciate my ancestors being mocked, Tobi." he narrowed his eyes which switched automatically to the Sharingan in a warning.

Tobi's posture went straight finally, his arms lowering to rest by his sides and his voice coming out nowhere near as playful as the other members were used to. "I am Madara Uchiha. I would think my own clan would be smart enough to realize that rather than going around on false rumors. Looks like one of my last descendants has ended up a fool. I knew I should have gone after Sasuke when he was young, that one at least has some true hatred in him!" he hissed, storming towards Itachi.

The younger Uchiha was just able to dodge as Tobi sent a punch towards him at lightning speed. He went off to the side, leaving a large hole in the living room wall now. Itachi narrowed his eyes at the Sasuke comment, not sure how to reflect the eyes which all immediately fell on him. He backed away from Tobi, but also the group of criminals as well.

He now had his Sharingan on full alert, his body reflexively moving to a fighting stance. Tobi smirked under his mask at the eyes which now all stood on Itachi. "Ah, that's right, I don't believe the others know about Sasuke. I would hate for them to find out and him, how do you say, drop dead for your mistakes."

That's all it took for Itachi to snap. He launched himself smoothly over to Tobi, lifting his arm up to punch him across the face. Apparently, Tobi wasn't expecting it as he didn't move to block it and instead stumbled back with a sloppy block. After all, it wasn't every day Itachi lost patience with another. The mask went flying off, and Itachi went flying on to Tobi.

There were no fancy jutsu or weapons, Itachi just went straight for strangling Tobi and sinking his nails into the older Uchiha's throat. He ignored the hands which moved to pull him off of Tobi. He wouldn't let him get another word out about Sasuke. "You have far too much confidence in my patience, Tobi."

Finally, he was snapped out of almost strangling Tobi to death in front of all the other members by Pain's words. "Itachi. That is enough. Konan and I already know about your younger brother. You don't need to strangle his words." an icy hand moving onto Itachi's back.

He hadn't realized it until now, but he was red in the face and shaking with anger at his brother being put in danger. Tobi was a nasty shade of blue, and Itachi's wrists were torn up from Tobi trying to rip them off his throat.

Slowly and shakily, he let go. His head lowered slightly in shame of losing his temper. To his sides were the other members who had all come to stop him from beating an off guard Tobi to death.

Deidara was the first to speak, Tobi being knocked out by the lack of airflow. "Who's Sasuke? Tobi said he was a descendant of him but Itachi killed off his entire clan years ago." he pointed out.

Pain was the one to speak "Sasuke is Itachi's younger brother. He's also the one Itachi has been living with these last few days, not some girlfriend." he spoke calmly, finally removing his hand from Itachi's back. "Itachi managed to kill off everyone from complete strangers who lived in the Uchiha clan to his own parents. But he couldn't kill his little brother. Tobi reported this to us from the start and we allowed it to pass. Despite the cruel way we are being forced to go about finding peace, it is still our final goal. I refuse to force death upon his brother as my brother had death forced on him." closing his eyes lightly as he thought back to Yahiko, who he had always considered a brother.

"He has been under the protection of one of my six paths of pain for years now and will continue to be. Any who take this new piece of information as a chance to go after Itachi will pay the price," Pain warned.

The young Uchiha felt himself stiffen up at the mention of his brother, but relax only slightly as he heard Pain speak. He was in shock that the older man had allowed Sasuke to not only live but was protecting him silently. He knew the other was after peace but had doubted it in recent years.

He felt Konan practically drag him up off Tobi by his Akatsuki robe as she spoke, "Now, you all lock Tobi up for questioning. Itachi, you come with us. We have a matter to speak with you about as well as regarding the rumors."

Quickly it clicked that they had to of heard about his being a spy as well if they had heard about Tobi being Madara. He had no idea if they would kill him or not, so he had his Sharingan activated and was watching for any signs of attacks as they walked down the stairs towards the lowest floor. He slid his kunai down in his sleeve so he could shoot them out at any given moment as well.

He doubted he would be a match for either of them, but at the very least he could flee that way. His mind was running through a million different ideas over where he could run without putting the others at risk or how he could protect Sasuke from this all when Konan broke his concentration. "Put the Sharingan and kunai away, we're only going to speak about it as of now. You couldn't defeat us anyway."

Slowly Itachi put the kunai away, though his eyes only attempted to clutch shut as he tried to turn them off, his natural senses telling him it wasn't safe and so his body now allowing itself to shut off.

Luckily, Pain continued on without waiting for him to force himself. "We have heard the rumors going around about you being forced to kill the clan and being sent to spy on the Akatsuki. Based on your reaction and disability to turn your Sharingan off, I would say these rumors are true. You have been a great asset to this organization. You have never once disobeyed us nor tried to press your way into the organization. Yet, you found yourself right in the pit of it. You have forged a false but believable bond with not only Konan and myself but many of the other members as well."

He stopped only to study the teen in front of him before continuing "You have taken to making sure Deidara sleeps and eats besides focusing only on art or missions despite his protests. You have cleaned up Kisame's injuries after your missions without being instructed to. You have, reluctantly, helped Sasori keep his puppets cleaned up when others refuse. You have partnered with Zetsu easily while his partner was away. You go out with Kakuzu to kill off high ranking ninja who are worth bounties and let him keep the cash. You listen to Hidan's religious ranting. You and Tobi spar using the Sharingan. You help Konan with the shopping. You help me with the repairs. I wish to know why. Why would you go through all the extra effort to look as though you care for the other members when it did not earn you any extra information for your village." his eyes locking onto Itachi's.

Itachi felt his eyes lower slightly at the reminders of all he had done within the Akatsuki. He knew now was the time. He needed to have them understand what his true goals were so they would hopefully join him. He could already sense the rift between the organization starts. He knelt down onto one knee and dropped his head respectfully as he spoke, something neither of the two people in the room was expecting. "I did not attempt to forge false bonds. I have truly grown to appreciate or respect each of the members in this organization whether it be for skill or for forcing on through the harsher times in their life."

Taking a deep but silent breath he continued "I was a spy for the Third Hokage before I had been made aware that he has been mistreating the people of the village. My true loyalty lies with not the village nor the Hokage, but peace itself. I believe in allowing people to live their best lives, but I do not believe forcing them to do it by having them all experience Pain is the way to bring peace. It is true that everyone relates to pain. It stems from fear, anger, and sadness. Those are three of the four basic emotions humans are wired to feel when they are born into this world. The other is happiness. I always have and always will believe happiness is the true way to bring peace. Men who have grown older and experienced pain are the ones who start wars over past grievances. Never have I seen a war be started by a mere child who knows only happiness in their life. And I have seen enough war in my life to know." he took a breath "Kill me if you wish, but leave my brother out of it."

The teen's eyes were clenched, knowing his argument most likely sounded childish but then that was always the key he believed. Children can see the world without any filters that have been drilled into adults as they grew older. That was why he saw Sasuke as the purest example of peace. He clenched his eyes, knowing either he would be killed for his words or they would agree with him.

After a long heavy moment, Pain spoke. "I told the others earlier not to go after your brother. My words still stand." he felt Konan touch his arm, and he was lightly motioned to stand from his submissive position as he heard Pain's voice, "You remind me much of Yahiko when he still lived. I'm sure as you must have done quite a bit of research on us you know he was Konan and my partner. No, he was more than that, he was a brother. He also believed the only way to achieve peace was through happiness and kindness."

Slowly Itachi nodded and Pain held his head high, inspired by his willingness to give his life for peace. "I have decided. You are right. Konan has been trying to tell me for years Yahiko would not want this but I've been blinded with grief. It's wrong to force hate on others using our members. If we want peace, we must discover it just as my brother would have wanted. Konan and I will change this organization for the better, back to its roots. With you by our side along with any others in the Akatsuki who are truly looking for peace."

Itachi nodded slightly, his eyes looking for any traces or dishonesty but finding none. "I am glad to hear. Also, I know for a fact Tobi is lying about being Madara. I've met up with the real Madara and Hashirama multiple times. They are looking to recreate the world just as you surely have heard. They're trying to make peace. The first step in this if they're removing the corrupt Hokage. I'm sure that will help with finding peace for this world as well."

For the first time since he had joined the Akatsuki, Konan and Pain saw Itachi smile. Konan moved to put a hand on Itachi's head, smiling herself. "I see. I hear they're living with Sasuke Uchiha just as you are. Perhaps you should take us to meet with them sometime soon. So that we can speak peace with them. No doubt one of them with taking over as Hokage if they don't find someone better for it. It will be good to be on good terms with them before then."

That was something Itachi had to agree on, so he nodded. Now that he thought about it, he had no idea who would become the Hokage. He hadn't given it much thought. "First of all though Itachi, we need names. Who do you believe should be removed definitely from the Akatsuki? We can't say we'll definitely remove them but we need what you think. You are the one who interacts with them all every day so you know their true motives. Who would have an issue with the change?" Pain asked.

"Zetsu and Tobi definitely I would say. Since I was a spy I had to decide who was a real threat to the village, and while doing research those who are the only ones that stuck out. They have another motive. I don't know what, but they do. Deidara might be upset at first but if you just give him another target for his bombs such as enemies then he'll be fine. I imagine he'll calm down as he gets older too. Kisame would be fine, he lives on wanting a purpose. The Akatsuki is his purpose now but I can easily see him helping bring peace much like Deidara. Sasori has a good heart. He would slowly accept the idea of only being able to use his enemies as puppets. Hidan I don't see being able to resist slashing everything in sight. Kakuzu wouldn't want to stop either since he's here for the cash he makes on our missions. So overall I would say Hidan, Kakuzu, Zetsu, and Tobi are untrustworthy."

Pain nodded and closed his eyes. This would be a long process.


	15. Akatsuki & Swordsmen

The day prior had ended just as any other would have- with Itachi coming home and discussing the day's events with Madara and Hashirama over dinner. Given, they had been a lot more surprised to hear about the days workings than most other days, but still. They were glad to hear the Akatsuki would be returning to its true purpose. When asked about them all meeting up, the rest of the household easily agreed a week or two would be best since Sasuke would be leaving for his first C-Rank mission. They decided on this, and all went to bed happy that night without any complaints. Though Sasuke was a bit sour at the idea of coming home from a mission to cook a huge meal, he also knew he would want to hear the information as soon as they got it too. That, and he also seriously wanted to see Kisame's sword.

And so, two weeks later when Itachi woke up, he decided he should get straight to it and head over to the hideout as soon as he made breakfast for the others. He headed downstairs and moved to the oven, flipping the stove on and mixing up some quick eggs while he left the bread to toast. Throw some bacon in the oven and within twenty minutes he was finished cooking. He put some jelly on the bread and like that he was off. He only settled for eating the toast on the way, not wanting to delay his arrival by sitting to eat the toast and not really one for meats. He knew Sasuke was supposed to return home this afternoon too so that was exciting.

He arrived at the hideout soon enough, finally stopping to clean any possible crumbs from his face and smoothing out his coat before entering. He came in to find an eerie silence. Deidara sat by the coffee table making clay statues with Konan working on some origami across from him. Deidara looked grouchy, and Konan almost apologetic. Itachi assumed it was due to his partner's absence. After all, even if Deidara didn't show it, nearly everyone knew he cared for his idiotic partner. To learn he wasn't really such an idiot and had most likely been playing him was surely a harsh slap in the face.

Sasori was beside Pain at the table, Sasori quietly cleaning some blood off his puppets with the help of Pain. Sasori didn't have a partner to mourn as he had been going solo for quite a while now since Orochimaru had left the organization. He was most likely more upset about the idea of nearly half the Akatsuki being taken out. It was true he hadn't really wanted to be in the Akatsuki in the beginning, but after living with others for years you're bound to grow close. Even a week later, things were tense.

Kisame was on the couch reading through a weapon magazine, not looking all too concerned with the other members being picked out. That, or he had already gotten over it. Kisame looked up as he heard the front door open, setting his magazine down to the side as Itachi headed in. Itachi wound up where he always did when he was at the base- sitting beside Kisame. After a brief moment Kisame asked "Well, we're all here now. You had something you wanted to talk to us about, Pain?" he asked in an almost lazy fashion.

Upon hearing his name Pain's head lifted slightly to listen. He nodded, "Yes. Everyone go over to sit on the couch. Itachi comes with me. There has been much decided in the last week or so as you all know. It needs to be discussed." the man standing up and slowly walking towards the living room. Unlike most days, today he was moving around in his true form. His red hair fell in front of his eyes occasionally, and he had to move it out of the way.

The other members all moved to sit on the couch by Kisame. Soon enough they were all lined up, Deidara beside Sasori who placed himself by Kisame. Konan didn't stand with Pain or Itachi, instead of leaning on the couch arm beside Kisame. Pain stood in front of them all, Itachi a bit behind him in a move of respect for their leader. After everyone was where they needed to be, Pain spoke. "Now, I know it has been a long week. Four of our members were removed due to disloyalty or because they did not agree with the new turn for the organization."

The others nodded, and so he continued. "As you all know it has been decided the Akatsuki will return to making peace in this world. Deidara, Sasori. You two said when I discussed this all with you that you couldn't just stop killing because your arts revolve around it. I understand this. You two can still use your clay and puppets against our enemies as you wish. Due to your similar artistic tendencies, you two will be partnered. Kisame, you will remain with Itachi as his partner. I will partner with Konan as usual. Understood?"

"Understood." they all agreed, Deidara glancing over at Sasori. He wasn't sure he would be able to get over losing Tobi so fast, but at least now he would have another artist around he could speak to. He didn't want to be placed with Itachi after all, that was one Uchiha he definitely couldn't handle being around too often after their defeat. Or Kisame, as the last time he had tried to play a trick on Kisame it had resulted in the threat of him having not one but all of his tounges cut out. Definitely not something he wanted.

Pain sighed "On another note, I would like for you all to use my real name from now on. Nagato. Our newest mission is one we will all be working on as a team. We will be working towards restoring our names in the great nations by speaking to the ones who all the great nations will be looking to. Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju. Itachi, please give them an overview of who they are and when we will be able to meet them."

Taking his spot as speaker Itachi began "Hashirama was the First Hokage of Konaha. Madara is the Uchiha who helped him build Konaha. The two fought for many years after the village was built as you all probably know, Hashirama killing Madara in the end. Both have been dead for years now, but have returned. Indra and Asura, the original spirits of the clans, have brought them back to stop an approaching evil. This includes three main evils they need to disperse. They needed to ease my brother's hatred, remove a corrupt Hokage, and take out the Akatsuki. Seeing as the Akatsuki has been cleansed, they only have two left."

Allowing this to sink on for a second, he continued. "They have been living in the Uchiha compound with Sasuke and I to work on the first one, while as far as the second one goes they are working to remove the Hokage. Once the Hokage is removed, it is hoped that all of the remaining Akatsuki can be pardoned from their crimes. Thus, we are hoping to set up a meeting with each other to discuss things or to simply strengthen ties with them so when the Hokage is changed we can all be in good lighting." he explained.

To be honest, the others hadn't heard Itachi speak this much in all the years since he had joined. They weren't quite sure what to make of the idea of being pardoned. It would be nice to not have to sneak around or to be able to do something like hire a simple boat without suspicions flying. Kisame especially liked this idea, as he figured it would be easier to head over to Itachi's house without having the ANBU darting after him every time they saw him. After all, it was a bit hard to hide a bulky 6'5 blue shark hybrid in a crowd of mostly slim Japanese men and women. Kisame asked "When is the closest we can meet? If we're really doing this is can't wait. The rumors of them have already spread like wildfire so it won't be long before a new Hokage is appointed."

Seeing his point, Itachi nodded "Exactly what we were thinking. So, last night when I spoke with them about a meeting we all decided it would be best for you all to come over later this afternoon. My younger brother usually has dinner ready by the time I arrive home after a day at the hideout so Hashirama suggested you all come over during dinner if you aren't too busy. He is out on a basic C-Rank mission but will be returning soon. That way everyone would be in the house. It takes about an hour running there. Or, two hours walking. You would need to keep your chakra hidden as we enter as well because the Hokage is a sensor."

Sasori agreed easily along with the others, though the redhead asked in his normal quiet tone "We heard through rumors you're a spy for the Hokage. Why are we trusting that you won't run us straight to enemy territory to abandon us?" he asked, eyes lifting to meet the youngest of the group. He had trusted Itachi with his puppets, so obviously he had some amount of trust in the younger teen. But still, to find out he was lying just like Tobi had been made him weary.

Understanding his concerns Itachi nodded "Fair enough question. I was indeed working as a spy for the Konaha. I apologize to both you and Deidara for keeping this hidden. Though, as I have told Nagato, Konan, and Kisame. My loyalties are with peace, not the village itself. I would not risk this world's chance at peace just to help a village that has easily used me time and time again. I have no proof that I won't turn you all in but think about it like this. All it would be doing is putting myself in danger by luring so many ANBU in." he explained.

This seemed like an acceptable answer for the other two, who settled for nodding their heads. After all, they had known him for a few years now and they both knew helping them wasn't something he had to do. "Before we head over to the Uchiha compound do you think we should all work on getting cleaned up a bit? I don't imagine they'll all enjoy us walking in smelling like fish, gunpowder, and blood." Konan mentioned motioning over to the three boys on the couch.

Itachi nodded in agreement, remembering how embarrassing it had been to end up getting a hygiene lecture from Hashirama the week prior. Not that he would ever admit it had happened. Soon enough they all began to disperse, Itachi heading over to Kisame who had his arms crossed and gills puffed up slightly in aggravation. The older male was heading to his room, sword slung over his shoulder.

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Kisame headed to his bedroom, Itachi following the sulking nineteen-year-old. As Kisame came into their room, he sat down on his bed. Itachi raised a brow at him, sitting beside him. "What on earth are you pouting about Kisame?" he asked, huffing and flopping down so his head was on the older teen's lap. He glared up at a shark who returned the look. Itachi had no idea what he was grouching on about, but he didn't want it leading on into the meeting.

Soon enough Itachi felt Kisame's larger hands moving down to pet through his raven-colored strands of hair, Itachi leaning into the petting, and relaxing a bit. Only with either Kisame or Sasuke would he ever allow his guard to lower this much. Perhaps Madara and Hashirama too one day. "I smell just fine, you all just have sensitive noses," he growled out.

His partner chuckled lightly at this, shaking his head. He reached up to lightly press his hand to his cheek, rubbing his thumb over the gills. It had felt odd the first time he had touched them, but by now he was used to the light breeze that escaped them as Kisame let out a few breaths. It was like a nose, he reasoned. "You smell just fine. We're just used to being around you and others aren't so you might smell stronger to them. Not to mention I don't think Sasuke has ever left Kahona so he doesn't even know what fresh saltwater smells like. I know you can't help it. It'll be fine."

Kisame practically threw Itachi up so he was sitting upon his lap. Itachi glared at the rough handling, and for a moment looked ready to start chewing the other out. He was interrupted as he felt Kisame take his hair tie out. He growled and turned around, opening his mouth to shout at the other but the words never came out. Kisame lightly massaged his boyfriend's scalp, smirking "I see. So my smell is like your nonexistent reactions. People smell me fresh and have a heart attack, people see you smile and have a stroke. Even when it isn't as bad as they think."

The older teased with a sharp-toothed grin "Though, you obviously have to work hard to hide those emotions. You're as emotional as they come. That or your affection starved. One of those two." watching as the normally stiff and regal teen leaned on his chest. "You're like a cat, you know that. All stuck up and cold until someone pets you. Then you won't let them stop without them feeling guilty."

He earned a glare for that one. Itachi remained curled up against the older teen until his head shot up and he hissed "Don't try to distract me. Go take a shower, now. shoo." standing up tiredly and snatching his hair tie back from the older teen who frowned, being caught in his tracks. Fuck. He really hated getting under fresh water. As much as everyone else hated the smell, he loved saltwater baths. Then given his typical disregard for anyone else, he didn't tend to take freshwater showers unless Konan and Pain absolutely demanded it of him.

Kisame headed into the bathroom, and Itachi frowned with a blush. Now he would have to shower too. He smelt like saltwater and didn't want to do it after he arrived home later. Damn Kisame and his traps of affection.

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Deidara headed into his bedroom after the meeting, tired and a bit annoyed from the day's events. He had woken earlier that week to hear Pain-or rather Nagato- arguing with Sasori. He, of course, had headed upstairs to check out what was going on since Sasori never really was one to be loud or obnoxious. He was startled by what he had seen.

\----------Flash Back----------

Sasori was snarling slightly and looking up at Nagato who eyed him calmly. Sasori was only twenty-two years old, while Nagato was going on thirty-five. He had been only nineteen when he arrived, so it was no surprise he fell into the group of the members that Konan subconsciously mothered over. Konan had stood beside Nagato with a tired expression. 

She repeated "I know this is hard for you Sasori but you need to understand. This organization has always stood for peace and will continue to. By attacking ninja from large villages you are doing nothing but disrupting the peace. We see this now." Konan explained.

"So what am I supposed to do then? Just give up making my puppets for a stupid organization I didn't even want to be in? Why the hell did everyone from Tobi to Hidan get to leave but you're telling me I should stay? Don't I even get a choice you sick bastards?" glancing over as he saw Deidara enter "Let me guess, he'll get the same choice. Give up our art or die? Deidara, what do you think, wouldn't you just love to quit your life's work to stay in an organization you didn't even want in?"

Seeing the other was reaching for support from another artist, and not liking the sound of it, the blonde immediately grew defensive. "What does he mean to give up my art? I don't know if this has something to do with what happened yesterday but I won't do it. Go ahead and try to kill me for refusing, but I won't go out without a bang." he threatened, clay bombs coming out of his coat as a threat.

Nagato shook his head "I'm not asking you two to give up your art. I'm asking you two to focus it one different target than you're used to. You would be focusing less on spreading pain but more on attacking specific enemies. Think of it like this. Your art is amazing, but don't you think it should be going up against bigger enemies than a few civilians you don't like or that insult you? Don't you think your puppets would grow more powerful from S-Rank enemies than townspeople."

They both eased their glares slightly, nodding ever so slightly in agreement. They never really cared much for the whole peace thing, but they did know they wanted their art to be appreciated. If this was how it would be most enjoyed, then why not go along with it. Even if it did make them feel slightly uncomfortable at the idea that they would need to keep their tempers in check or resist the perfect targets.

\----------Flash Back----------

Deidara and Sasori both had ended up parting ways and sulking with their leaders until Itachi had come. The sulking remained for days. Sasori upset at the lack of puppet materials he might have and Deidara sulking both for his loss of Obito and targets for his clay. Now, however, he found himself going over to the damn Uchiha compound. And as everyone in the Akatsuki knows, he hated Uchiha. This day was not going his way at all.

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Soon enough they all headed outside, and they all met at the gates. They were freshly showered and their coats had been washed, much to Kisame's complaint and Konan's relief. Kisame held a bag full of Itachi's things, which Itachi had oh so innocently pointed out would be convenient for him to bring over for him. After all, Kisame had opted out of doing it for the last few weeks now since the other had moved.

They were soon on their way, running towards the Uchiha compound despite Itachi's warning that they would be early so Sasuke would still be at work. As they were running Konan pointed out "Why is he working? The kids only barely fourteen from what I hear. I know for a fact Kahona supplies monthly allowances for orphaned children." though she didn't look over at the other, not wanting to trip and needing to see if they would turn at any point.

Itachi sighed slightly before explaining "He's a child, that's why. He sees a new weapon on the way through town and turns into a kid in a candy shop. If he didn't have an extra income he probably would be giving up his electricity in favor of a new kunai set." he chuckled lightly, something which was unfamiliar to the other members. Itachi had been showing more emotion lately, and they wondered if staying with the two legendary ninjas had anything to do with it. Konan had chuckled lightly at this, nodding in understanding.

They arrived after about an hour and fifteen minutes, Itachi having to stop occasionally to give directions. As they entered in through the front door, the Akatsuki members made sure to mask their chakra. Itachi slid off his shoes with the rest of them by the front door. Soon after the slide off his coat along with the others. They all had pairs of casual clothes under so they figured it couldn't hurt to lose a layer. So soon all their coats rested on a coat rack near the front door, and Hashirama and Madara headed in. Hashirama smiled at them "Welcome. I am glad you all could join us." he noted as both he and Madara giving a light bow.

Nagato nodded and the rest of the Akatsuki returned the bow with the exception on Deidara. Konan quickly reached out to put a hand on the sixteen-year-old blonde's back, forcing him into a light bow much to his dismay. Nagato commented "Thank you. I and my comrades are glad to be here." the redhead smiled thinly. As they all rose from their position of bowing Madara motioned them to the kitchen.

The eldest Uchiha stayed quiet as Hashirama smiled and spoke easily, much to the Akatsuki's surprise. They would have expected someone as strong and feared as him to be more stiff and serious, but he was as calm and joyful as could be. They headed to the kitchen as Hashirama offered "Here, lets put on some tea while we wait for Sasuke to get home. He's the only one who can cook beside Itachi." he chuckled "I would say it's an Uchiha thing, though. Madara wouldn't be able to cook grilled cheese without burning the kitchen down."

Even Nagato had to let a small laugh slip at that one. The other Akatsuki members found it amusing as well, though Madara not so much. The ravenette glared at Hashirama, backhanding him before returning to the tea. "Rude." was Madara's grunt of a response. Soon enough they were all settled at the table, sipping quietly at the drinks. Madara had pulled a few chairs from the basement, knowing they would need a few more with guests coming. They matched and fit perfectly, so he assumed they once rested at the table as well.

Hashirama put his hands together. "So. You know who we are, but we have no idea who you are beside the brief summary Itachi gave us of you a week or so ago when we asked him. If you all would be so kind as to introduce yourselves, your powers, and explain why exactly you did what you did which named you as criminals, that would be wonderful. Madara and I hope to be working with you for a more peaceful world, after all. Not to mention we need to think of ways to try to get your crimes pardoned." he politely asked. After all, Hashirama wanted to know who he was working with.

Nagato nodded. He decided he should start them off as he was their leader. "I am Nagato of the Uzumaki clan. I am 35 years old. Konan is my partner. I use a technique known as the six paths of pain. Madara knows exactly where I got my Rinnagan from. I am the leader of this generation of Akatsuki and my good friends Yahiko and Konan were the ones who originally created the Akatsuki alongside me. It is an organization hoping to stop a war from engulfing this world any further. I assassinated Hanzō and any with connections to the man, the leader of Amaterasu. Amaterasu is also known as The Village Hidden in the Rain. I now control it with Konan. He killed Yahiko and no great nation would stop him, so I did it myself. I also have miscellaneous murder charges against ANBU who tried to come after me or my organization." he explained easily.

The older ninja nodded slightly, and they moved on to Konan. She explained "I am Konan. I am 30 years old. I follow Nagato and am in charge of caring for the village and making sure it's civilians are happy. Nagato is my partner. I use a variety of paper ninjutsu. I aided in the take over of Amaterasu and have miscellaneous murder charges on ANBU who came after me or other members." she explained, not having nearly as many charges.

Sasori moved the cup away from his lips as he spoke "I am Sasori of the Red Sand. I am 22 years old. I use puppets to fight and am a master puppeteer. I have made my body transform into a puppet. I killed the Third Kazekage, who was a heartless bastard towards the children of the sand and did nothing to stop their suffering. I also did this because his body looked like it would add to my collection nicely. I can take corpses and turn them to puppets for me to use. I was partnered with Orochimaru originally but now have a new partner, Deidara. We were chosen to be partners because we both enjoy the art of what we do."

Madara and Hashirama were a bit concerned as they heard how little he cared that he turned others into puppets. They made a note to watch him. Though, he seemed quiet and polite. But then those were really the ones you had to watch. Turning to Deidara, Hashirama asked "Not to be taken the wrong way, but hold old are you? You look a little young to be an S-Rank criminal." he questioned.

Deidara was quick to explain. "I am Deidara. I am 16 years old, 13 when I joined the Akatsuki and became a missing-nin. I joined just after Itachi. I am an artist. I have the explosion release kekki genkai. I use a forbidden technique I stole from my village to feed my clay chakra, allowing them to explode when thrown at my opponents. Because true art is an explosion and needs to be seen by everyone! Before I joined the group I lead the Explosion Core of my village. I also used to be a mercenary. My old partner was Tobi but is now Sasori as he said. Sasori and I were partnered due to our love of art." the blonde smirked, before lifting his hands "This is the stolen Ninjutsu."

Hashirama startled as he saw the hands, sweatdropping slightly "That's lovely. I'm sure it's very useful." not really enjoying looking at the odd mouths. Madara even looked a bit surprised to see the mouths, though nowhere near as uncomfortable about it. His hands looked interesting, at least. Then he was also sure it came in handy to be able to add chakra to other items. Hashirama glanced to Kisame. "You're the one who was with Itachi the other day, weren't you?" he smiled thinly.

Kisame nodded. "Kisame Hashigoki. I am 19 years old. I am a partner to Itachi. I am a member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. Also known as The Tailed Beast Without a Tail due to my large chakra reserved. Another name I go by is Monster of the Hidden Mist. My signature weapon is Samehada which I stole from my master after killing him. I can temporarily fuse with Samehada to heal any injuries or restore chakra. Samehada can absorb chakra. I am fused with Samehada for these reasons as well as so I can breathe underwater. The only drawbacks being gills. I am a master of the water release. I was a bodyguard for the cypher division of my village, but when we were cornered I chose to kill them to keep the information hidden from the men who would come to torture them as instructed. Sucked to kill commands, but it's what my superior ordered. Come to find out, my superior was selling information to our enemies. So I killed him and took Samehada. Placed with Itachi because of our similar killing streaks."

The older two nodded in understanding, noting their kills were similar in more ways than the obvious ones. Madara nodded lightly to them all, glancing at the clock and frowning. It was already 7:00 pm, where the hell was Sasuke? He was about to voice his concerns when the front door opened. All heads immediately turned to Sasuke who stumbled in, walking with a slight limp which he tried to hide, failing miserably. Sasuke tried to head for the kitchen quickly, not wanting to interrupt.

Hashirama and Madara were both up quickly to see what was wrong but in a flash, Konan darted over to Sasuke. Before he could even protest she had her hands holding either side of his cheek "Oh! You poor thing what happened to you? Your backs all messed up dear-" much to Sasuke's discomfort. The youngest Uchiha quickly began struggling out of the loving woman's arms, a fluster covering his face as he felt the embarrassment of being cooed over. After all, even if he was a mature one, he was still a teenager and the spirits know how quickly they get embarrassed over being coddled.

Hashirama just sat and stared with Madara, surprised by what they were seeing. A moment ago they weren't sure they could help pardon some of them but now. Konan was coddling over Sasuke. Nagato was slowly trying to tug her away from the poor boy. Sasori and Kisame were snickering together, while Itachi was shaking his head with a smile while Deidara laughed his ass off. It was like the older two were a pair of normal civilians while the others seemed like any other pair of teens and young adults. Madara heard Deidara's snicker through his laughing "He should have hidden it better. Now he'll never escape."

Kisame nodded with a smirk "As you enjoy saying, he is your foolish little brother. Now he's stuck for good." he noted, Madara raising a brow at this. Itachi jabbed Kisame in the rip, telling him to go help Sasuke silently. Kisame huffed "Spirits, first you make me carry your stuff now you're having me free your brother? You're so needy today Itachi." the older teen grumbled but standing up anyway.

The shark-man headed over, lifting Sasuke easily out of Konan's grasp and holding him up easily to look him over. He lightly pressed a hand to Sasuke's back which had multiple small holes as if stabbed with needles repeatedly. The small press making the younger let out an undignified squeak. Kisame smirked as he noticed the sword on Sasuke's belt, "Itachi, you didn't tell me your brother was training with swords." he noted before finally dropping the poor teen and waving Konan off "He smells like a hospital. Calm down, his injuries have already been taken care of."

Konan let it go, and Sasuke stumbled up once he was let go, glaring at Itachi for bringing these people into the house. Itachi only chuckled at his brother's glare, watching as he stormed off to make dinner all the while grumbling about stupid overly buff fish. As he headed into the kitchen the others followed him, the rest of the Akatsuki having grown curious about Sasuke over the last few days. After all, the remaining Akatsuki members were all without siblings and found the idea of a mini Itachi interesting. That, and Madara and Hashirama finally came to their senses enough to realize the teen was hurt pretty badly if he was in the hospital.

All excluding Sasuke sat down at the table, Sasuke focusing on quickly making dinner so he could lay down. Hashirama asked idly as they all sat watching Sasuke's back while he made dinner "So...how did you manage to hurt yourself Sasuke? In your mission scroll, it said you would simply be escorting a bridge builder. Not to mention you were gone a week longer than expected and all you told us in your letter was the mission got complicated." he asked curiously.

Sasuke hit a potato a bit harder than needed as he was asked this, obviously annoyed as he spoke "The ranking was moved up. It changed to an A-Rank mission halfway through. I ended up getting stabbed half to death with fucking throwing needles of all things. Because Naruto was being a dumbass and nearly got himself killed by jumping into my fight instead of using that tiny brain of his." he growled lightly.

Madara was immediately on guard, Hashirama asking "A-Rank? Those are usually left for Jonin or rarely Chunnin. Not Genin fresh into the field. What the hell happened out there that could change a simple transporting mission into a life and death situation?" Pain and Konan both alarmed too. They knew the system well enough too and didn't see how it could go so wrong. Kisame was too focused on how amusing it was to listen to the younger Uchiha getting so annoyed by this. After all, he could rarely annoy Itachi, so it was interesting to see an Uchiha so expressive.

Sasuke sturred a bowl as he explained "We were just supposed to take Tazuna to the Land of Waves to let him build a bridge. First, we were attacked by two chuunin who came out of puddles and blinded Kakashi, our sensei. Then Naruto froze up and I had to move him out of the way. Sakura guarded Tazuna and then Kakashi came in and took them both out quickly. Naruto got a poisonous scratch and ended up stabbing his hand dramatically to make an oath like the damn idiot he is before going into one of his Hokage rants. Naruto gets healed up, and Kakashi saids it is at least a B rank by this point."

He moved to pour the mix into another bowl before beginning to peel some carrots. "Then come to find out a man named Gato has been ruining the finances of the land so he had to lie about the rank so he could help the land with the bridge. We continue on anyway, and as we're walking Kakashi has us a duck and a sword fly at us. You know who through the sword? Fucking Zabuza. Fucking Zabuza of the seven swordsmen. I almost got my head chopped off by his Kubikiribōchō."

Oddly enough, the teen sounded somewhat excited by the idea. But then, they supposed, it was a legendary sword to even be in the presence of. Especially for another swordsman, then double that for someone as young as Sasuke. Kisame asked "Zabuza? What the hell did you all get dragged into? He's one of the best swordsmen alive. Or, rather, I would assume was one of the best considering your team somehow walked away." he grinned.

Sasuke nodded "Kakashi fought Zabuza while we protected Tazuna. Kakashi used his Sharingan against him to make him confused by how he mimicked his movements. Eventually, though, Kakashi got trapped in a prison of water so we had to get him out. Naruto ends up using his shadow clone jutsu to send me two Fuma Shuriken while distracting Zabuza. I caught them and threw them at Zabuza. He got the first easily but just barely missed the second. Then as the second one passed the Shuriken changed and it turned out Naruto disguised a clone as one. So then he threw a kunai at him forcing him to stop his water prison and free Kakashi."

Deidara and Itachi both found themselves on the edge of their seats as they listened. They had been on missions more dangerous, but they always knew who their opponent was. With this Zabuza and other men popping in, they had no idea. Sasuke continued "Then Kakashi used his Sharingan to use his techniques against him as they fought on the water. Eventually, he was about to 'kill' him when a hunter-nin showed up and took him away. But that didn't make sense since hunter-nins don't carry their prey back. They decapitate them and take the head. We ended up going back to stay with Tazuna at his house so we could rest while he builds the bridge. That's why I was so late."

Madara interrupted "You should have been brought back home the moment danger this high was suspected. That mission had plenty of reasons to be left alone, and that man did not deserve help after putting such young inexperienced genin in the field. At that point, your teacher should have given it up and gone back. If you all knew something was off with how the body was taken care of you should have paid attention!" not able to believe the village they worked so hard to create to protect children from this sort of thing would allow this.

Sasuke shook his head "He considered it but Naruto got close to the man's grandson. Long story short, his father died protecting their village and the grandson was convinced all heroes died. Yeah, the dobe took it as a personal challenge and opted to prove him wrong by protecting his grandfather. That and I didn't want to leave the old man to die because obviously the moment we left he would be dead." he explained.

Finally, he continued once Madara calmed down. "While we were staying their Kakashi taught us to climb trees using chakra control on the bottom of our feet. Naruto almost died of exhaustion again doing that and Sakura picked it up quickly. Rested for a bit. Finally, we head out to the bridge one day and guess who's back for round two? Fucking Zabuza. I fight Haku, the one we thought was a hunter-nin. I was going faster than he was used to so he trapped me in a jutsu called 'Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals'. He cut me all over with the needles while the other two through kunai, as if that was going to stop the assistant of Zabuza."

The teen rolled his eyes lightly at that and brought over the food which everyone began to eat while still listening. "Kakashi was busy fighting Zabuza so he couldn't help either. So he told me to keep attacking the ice mirrors which Haku was hiding it from the inside while Naruto went from the outside. So then, of course, Naruto walks straight into the center of the mirrors so obviously, I told him he was a loser and we were both trapped. We argue for a bit, before Naruto and I start working together again. Then Haku saids she doesn't want to kill children but she will if she must."

Sasori stiffened a laugh at the face he imaged Sasuke had when this 'Naruto' jumped right in with him. "I watched Haku attack Naruto's shadow cloned and spotted where she was. So I used by Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique and managed to hit him. Then he starts ranting about how his ice is stronger than my fire. Naruto passes out from lack of Chakra, and Haku targets him. He tried to kill Naruto with thousands of senbon, but I blocked them." he shook his head "Worst idea ever, next time I'm letting him die."

Hashirama jabbed his side, muttering 'You don't mean that'. Sasuke only glared at this. "I do mean that. The loser is fucking dead next time he decides to play hero. And then after that, I died for a few hours but came back when they were removing the needles. Sent me into shock or something. Anyway though, according to the mission report the others turned in, Naruto got pissed off and nearly killed Haku. But then Haku asked him to kill him and dobe didn't want to. Then he agreed and Haku said never mind and went to protect Zabuza. Followed by hundreds of men arriving to kill Zabuza by Gato's orders. Zabuza got angry and killed a ton of them despite his arms being broken. He carried a kunai in his mouth and slit the throats of the men before going straight to kill Gato. According to the scroll, he asked to be buried beside Haku and they died beside each other."

Sasuke nodded as he finished his story and returned to eating, the others quiet for a moment. They processed what they heard before Kisame shook his head "I suppose it's like you said then Itachi. We do not know what type of people we truly are until the moment before our deaths. Or some shit like that." he smirked over at his partner who easily waved a hand dismissively at him. He then turned to Sasuke with a sharp smirk "Good job surviving an encounter with Zabuza and Haku, kid."


	16. Sadistic Sensei

Soon enough dinner came to a calm, the rest of the conversation being more casual. Madara noted the slight shake in Sasuke's hand as he helps his chopsticks, frowning a bit. He assumed Sasuke was probably hurting a lot more than he was letting on.

At least a nerve or two had to be hit when Haku was throwing the senbon, and that was at the very best. He wouldn't be surprised if the ninja had tried to specifically hit his nerves to slow him down. After all, he had said the one he was fighting wasn't trying to kill them at first.

Kisame mostly spoke with Itachi, the older teen taking easily to jabbing at Itachi's side in a playful manner while Itachi shied away from him with a harsh glare. It didn't take a genius to figure out they were close, but as time went on Hashirama noticed just how much Kisame was allowed to touch Itachi.

Hashirama and Madara were both fairly sure Itachi could chuck Kisame across the room if he wanted too, so they assumed he didn't mind as much as he pretended to. A thought swiftly passed his mind, but he wiped it away. Itachi had a girlfriend at one point, he couldn't be gay. Not that he would specifically have anything against it, he just didn't see Itachi going that way.

Sasori spoke a bit with Deidara and Sasuke, the three of them seem to get along well enough considering the decent age gaps between the three of them. Sasori ended up showing Sasuke a pair of his miniature puppets, these ones being one of the few made out of wood rather than flesh. Sasuke seemed interested enough, though at one point Sasori and Deidara ended up bickering quietly over whether art was eternal or if it was meant to be a single large bang.

All eased down until Deidara scared Sasuke half to death by reaching over and putting a hand on his arm. Sasuke had felt the tongue from the other's hand and immediately smacked Deidara on reflex. He darted back while resisting an instinctive yelp. Deidara only found this funny, however, and ended up laughing his ass off when Sasori sighed with a shake of his head.

Konan had ended up talking with Hashirama while Madara spoke with Nagato. They all would occasionally glance up however to see one of the younger ones yipping or arguing.

Hashirama gave an amused look and raised a brow as he spoke among the four older adults "So Itachi was right then when he was first describing you all. He told us you all had formed tight bonds as if in a family. It definitely seems as such. Hard to imagine you all are S-Class criminals according to the great nations."

The purple-haired woman nodded "You can't help but grow close to someone when you live with them for years. Things you thought would bother you never even cross your mind anymore. And yes, I forget some times myself. Especially when Itachi and Deidara got into their teenage moods, oh, you should be glad Itachi has calmed down over the years. Given he has plenty of reasons to be so upset when you think about everything that's happened in his life, but it was terrible for the few weeks." she explained

Amused, Madara agreed "I know Uchiha tend to have extra strong shifts during those years due to our sensitivity to emotions. I'm just glad Sasuke hasn't hit the mark yet because I know how that tends to go. Sleep, eat, train, sleep, eat, train, repeat. I have no idea how you dealt with having a daughter, Hashirama." he shook his head back and forth.

Hashirama only offered a strained laugh as he thought about back then. It was odd talking so easily about the younger ones as if they were all parents.

Eventually, dinner came to a close, the Akatsuki heading out after giving their goodbyes. As they turned to leave into the pitch-black night, left Hashirama sat on the couch watching for a moment before offering "It's pretty late. If the base is too far you can stay." he noted.

They all shook their heads no, thanking him anyway though. Konan explained "We can always just stay over at a hotel in the small town over. Thank you for your offer, however." smiling at him with the others agreeing.

Just as they were about to leave however, Itachi grabbed Kisame's coat to prevent him from leaving. Kisame turned around blinking at the hand, the ravennette moving his hands to his pockets now that he had his attention. Itachi closed the door and dragged Kisame upstairs "You still haven't helped me put my stuff away like you said you would." being his only icy reply.

The older teen looked annoyed and muttered "What, did you break your arms or something? I'm not your man-slave." he pointed out. Madara and Hashirama raised a brow at them, but their attention shifted rather quickly to Sasuke who was watching them wide-eyed.

For a moment, they wondered if Sasuke was jealous of how close Itachi was to Kisame, but that thought was quickly wiped away as Sasuke spoke.

They had to do a double-take when they heard him speak, not sure they were hearing correctly at first. "I ship it. I definitely ship it." the teen had a grin on his face that honestly looked almost wrong on the younger Uchiha. Hearing a slight 'eh?' from the older ninja he repeated "I ship it. Kisame and Itachi. They'd make a good couple." he nodded to emphasize his point before going to do the dishes quickly.

Hashirama shook his head back and forth slightly at this and headed into the kitchen, sighing a bit. He leaned on the counter "I'm not going to comment on that. But on to other things. Are you feeling alright? Having that many senbon wedged into you couldn't feel all too good." resting a hand on the teen's back which made him quickly cringe away from the older ninja. Suspicions confirmed, Madara took the bowl from Sasuke's hands.

"Here. Hashirama and I can handle the dishes for now. You go ahead and relax. Watch a movie or something." he lightly put a hand to the teen's shoulder to guide him towards the living room.

The teen ended up sitting down in the living room and watching television. He took the sword out of his belt holder, not wanting to lean on it and hurt himself. He set it beside him, watching the action movie which was on. He watched it quietly for some time, Madara and Hashirama heading to bed after checking on Itachi briefly.

The older two headed to their rooms and told Sasuke good night, leaving Sasuke alone in the dark room with his movie playing. He relaxed against the couch, finding the silence peaceful after being around so many people in the last few weeks.

T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K

Kisame had headed up to Itachi's room, the younger one pointing the way. Kisame entered his room and glanced around. Nothing too odd, pretty much exactly what he would have pictured. Though, his bed was a bit on the smaller side.

Kisame glanced over at the bag he had carried for Itachi, opening it up and pulling the manga out. He began stacking them on a shelf, noting "So your brother uses a sword. It sounds like he was pretty hyped to go up against swordsmen despite the circumstances. It's pretty impressive they managed to save someone in one of Zabuza's water prisons. It must have been difficult."

Taking a few of his scrolls from his bag he nodded in agreement "I would imagine if they're anywhere near as strong as you are then it must have been difficult. Also yes, he does use a sword. His Sensei got it for him a while back. He's been learning from multiple teachers. A woman named Anko has trained him, I taught him a bit, Hashirama has given him lessons, and he practices on his own. He definitely enjoys it. Though, when training stops he usually gets pretty annoyed. Honestly, I almost think I traumatized him with my refusing to train so much when he was younger." he chuckled.

Kisame nodded with an amused look "I could see him eyeing Samehada. He's definitely well built-in arms, even if it doesn't look like it. He seems to have that thin muscled look. I would imagine he can hold his own. Though, that sword is pretty small. One little jab from Samehada and it would snap." he chuckled, lifting his sword and swinging it as if to prove his point. He didn't hit anything, but Itachi's warning glare was enough to have him put it down.

Soon enough the room found itself in order and Itachi stretched. The younger teen asked "So. Do you want to go watch a movie downstairs? Sasuke is probably already asleep along with that others." he suggested. Receiving a nod, the two headed downstairs.

Unfortunately, as they headed down, they were met with Sasuke sitting curled up on the couch with the remote on his lap and his sword by his side.

Itachi came over, sitting beside his younger brother. Kisame sat down beside Itachi as well, the older Uchiha asking "What are you watching?" looking to the screen.

By now Sasuke had switched to horror anime, this being quite obvious as an image appeared on the screen of a man wrapped in bandages swinging his scythe at a young girl. Sasuke tossed Itachi the box- 'The Angel of Death' was the title.

As it was, the two older ninjas decided to leave it alone as the anime had only just started and it didn't look too boring. About halfway through, Sasuke laid his head on Itachi's shoulder instinctively.

A few moments later, Kisame found himself leaning on Itachi as well. By the end of the movie, all three were asleep, and the house was silent besides the quiet noise of the title screen's opening music.

T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K

Hashirama and Madara woke up the next day to a pile of teenagers laying on the couch. Madara raised a pair of eyebrows, glancing between the three teens. Hashirama, on the other hand, chuckled lightly, looking over them. He whispered "So, it looks like they're all getting along alright then." shaking his head back and forth fondly before heading over to the kitchen.

They figured since Sasuke was still injured and Itachi had someone over, it wouldn't hurt if they made something quick. They had gotten a lot better during Sasuke's two-week absence.

Itachi woke up soon enough to the smell of oatmeal. As he woke up he shifted ever so slightly, waking both Kisame and Sasuke. The two grunted slightly, sitting up. Sasuke wiped the sleep from his eyes, Kisame rolling his shoulders stiffly as he woke up.

The three rearranged themselves to stand up, Itachi turning the television off as he had somehow wound up holding the remote. He turned it off before they all headed into the kitchen.

The brunette smiled at them as they came in, offering them all a bowl. They all sat down for breakfast at the table, the three teens slowly beginning to wake up. Madara glanced at Sasuke "It's nearly 7:00 am. Shouldn't you be heading out for training? You're already late." shaking his head "You should have set an alarm so this wouldn't happen." he noted.

Sasuke glanced up from his bowl "I'm on a mandatory break. According to someone, taking a break from training is a great move just before the Chuunin exams. They're coming up and I heard Anko speaking with Kakashi about our team. He wants to enter us in. That and Anko won't be able to train with me until after it's over because she's involved in setting it up so she'll be busy." an annoyed tone to his voice.

"Well, it would make sense with your injuries, Sasuke. You don't want to go out there worn out. You'll at least be training with Kakashi sometime before then though, right? You don't want to fall behind either." Hashirama noted. "Itachi can always practice your sword training too if need be. Nagato was saying yesterday the Akatsuki would be putting a pause on things for a bit until everything slows down so they can work on rewiring their organization. So Itachi will have plenty of free time."

Turning his head towards his brother he smirked "That's right, now you don't have some lame excuse to give me." only to fell a rough two-fingered jab in the forehead that had him instinctively reaching up and sending a glare at his brother. "You can't just jab me in the head and say next time, there won't be a time where I have to go to this chuunin exams again." he interrupted his brother's words.

Itachi chuckled lightly and moved his hand away "Alright, alright. Fair enough Otouto." he smiled thinly "But you know, there very well could be the next time. The chuunin exams are difficult and change every year. There are grown men who take the exams for years and never get past it. Iruka-Sensei for example. He took three or so tries and even then he never went on to Jonin. It's about a 15% pass rate at best."

The older ninja had taken to washing the dishes, Sasuke furrowing his brow at his brother "I don't care about how bad everyone else does. I'll pass easily. I assume most of it will be fieldwork which would make it automatically boost our chances. I have a good strategy plus Kakashi said he'll train me one on one, Naruto has dumb luck, and Sakura has the insane physical strength and chakra control. Besides you joined ANBU when you were eleven, I think I can handle the Chuunin exams." he crossed his arms stubbornly.

Itachi rose a brow "Kakashi is training you one on one? That will surely help. I still can't grasp the fact he has his own team. When we were on an ANBU squad together he always spoke about how much trouble he had dealing with children. He said that was one of the things he worried about most when he went out. He didn't want to have to deal with having any children." he explained.

Quickly Sasuke's interest was peaked "You partnered with Kakashi?" thinking for a moment before asking "Yeah. It was pretty obvious he was hesitant to get a team. Apparently, he had failed every single student he had before us in the bell test. We're his first Genin team." seeing the two older teens raised eyebrows he explained "The bell test was the test he gave us after we graduated from the academy and were placed on his team. He said if we failed we would be sent back to the academy. He had two bells, our job was to each get one."

Kisame pointed out "Eh kid, your math doesn't add up. If you each needed a bell then there would have to be three. But then I suppose that was the test then, which one of you all were strong enough to snatch it out of a Jonin's hand. I imagine that went well." he smirked sarcastically.

The Genin scratched the back of his neck awkwardly "Went about as well as you could expect. Sakura and I were hiding in the bushes while Naruto tried to attack him head-on. Long story short, Kakashi kicked his ass while not looking up from his book. Then after a while of us trying to sneak up on him and failing he came after Sakura, catching her in a genjutsu. Made her think I was dead. So then I tried to go at him only to get knocked out pretty fast."

Itachi smirked at this slightly, it definitely sounded like Kakashi's skills. "But he told us not to eat anything for breakfast so we were hungry. He made us all bento boxes and told us to wait until lunch. Naruto tried to steal them, so he tied him to a huge pole. Then he told us we could eat but not to share with Naruto or we would fail. I felt bad for the idiot and gave him some of mine. Then he appeared and started stalking up to us, and I swear I thought we were all going to die then and there. Sadistic Bastard ended up glaring at us and stomping over only to get all cheery and say we passed because of our teamwork."

Laughter soon came from all sides of the kitchen and dining room, though Sasuke didn't see anything funny about it at all. Sadistic Sensei.


	17. Training, for what?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a timeskip of three weeks. I apologize in advance for the very OOC chapter, I don't know how it came out so bad.

The weeks leading up to the Chuunin exams were just as difficult if not more difficult than Sasuke imagined the test would be. At first, Sasuke had assumed it would be a breeze to go through the exams. He figured since he was the head of his class, alongside Neji who he frequently competed with for the title, he would have the advantage of skills on his side. However, his brother seemed to read his mind and began to remind him that he would be up against about a hundred others as well as his classmates. That he would be the easy pickings for the adults who had been trying since they were his age.

Sasuke had ended up listening to this and started taking training more seriously. Kisame had agreed to teach Sasuke how to better use his sword, after a lot of prompting from Itachi. Sasuke didn't understand why Itachi was so serious about Kisame training with him beside the face he was a master swordsman. The teen had quickly found out once they began training why. He quickly realized Kisame wasn't going to hold back and, unlike Hashirama or Anko, he was willing to beat Sasuke within an inch of his life to get him to focus.

They would get up at 2:00 am just to train for two hours straight. Sasuke still remembered how his cocky smirk had quickly been wiped off his face and changed into a serious and focused on the first time Kisame had sliced his arm with the Samehada. The cut had been deep- down to the bone nearly. He had stopped for a split second to stare at the gushing wound when he heard Kisame continue running at him. He could barely keep up with the strikes, and Kisame hadn't stopped until Sasuke was on the ground with his arm raised to cover his face in a pitiful attempt at defending himself.

Even then he hadn't been released from training, the shark ninja lifting a dirt-covered Sasuke up and taking him back other to the area where they started. He had gone over every little misstep Sasuke had made, and then they had gone over each one numerous times until it was locked in his head as a reflex. They did this every time they trained, just as every time he would leave feeling like his body was on fire.

They practiced early morning under the lights in his back yard training area before anyone in the house woke. They all knew about the training as the first time it had happened Hashirama was cleaning up every little scrap despite the teen's and Madara's protests. Madara understood it was necessary for rough training to sharpen up sometimes, as did Hashirama. That didn't change Hashirama's mind about waking every morning at 4:00 am to patching the teen up while Itachi made breakfast for the five of them. After all, while roughing it through some things was good, getting an infection or leaving a bone broken without medical help wouldn't make it any stronger.

Once they all finished eating breakfast at about 4:30 the two older teens would be off to help with the new missions the Akatsuki had begun to assign. Most of it was repairing buildings in or helping the people of Amegakure, though there were a few protection or travel jobs. Kisame left Sasuke plenty to do with the time while they were, of course, assigning him scrolls to read or moves to practice. The few times Sasuke would complain it was unfair of him to work him so hard, the older teen would slice Samehada through the air in front of him so it was lightly pressing on his chest. Never hard enough to hurt him as they weren't training, just enough to get his point across as he would ask with a smirk, 'Can you beat me yet, though?'

As such, the teen had stopped complaining. After breakfast and while the other two were heading to the Akatsuki, Sasuke would head out to training with Kakashi at around 5:00 am. Naruto had been training with a man named 'Jiraiya', one of the legendary sannin. Every time Naruto called him 'Pervy Sage', Sasuke resisted the urge to knock him over the head for his idiocy. Sakura had been floating around on other teams, usually with Asuma. So Sasuke was excited to get some one-on-one training with his sensei.

Kakashi now made a point of showing up on time after the first time being late and Sasuke practically having a meltdown about how much time was wasted. They would train in mostly chakra based areas. Such as summoning chakra to exact areas of his body or letting him flow through him in certain ways. Kakashi showed Sasuke how to move the chakra through his chakra network in the same way as his body naturally did and the teen had nearly fallen over at how relaxing it was, much to Kakashi's amusement.

Lately, the silver-haired Jonin had been showing him a new technique known as 'Chidori'. Much to Sasuke's surprise, it was Kakashi's own technique which he had taught to no one else besides him. Every time the teen would consider throwing in the towel or grew annoyed with all the stress of training with Kakashi, he would remind himself that only he was being taught this special A-Rank ninjutsu. That Kakashi was focusing all his energy on him. This would give the teen a sense of pride, especially after how he was used to being taught.

Whether it was way back when he was training as a child or once he entered the academy, he had always trained alone or in a large group. His clan never made any efforts to have him trained, and no one seemed to take any interest in the child when he would ask to be trained. Not even Itachi, though Sasuke now knew it was because he was dealing with so much on his own back then. His father never took extra steps to help his second son as, just like the rest of the clan, he believed Sasuke would never measure up to his brother. Then in the academy, he was just one of the hundreds being taught so there was still no special interest in him.

So now that he had Kakashi spending all this energy on him, he felt a new sense of determination he clung to. The determination to make the silver-haired ninja proud. He would remember this as he waited for Kakashi to arrive, and then while they trained for two hours. Around 7:00 am, they would stop so Sasuke had time to get to Anko's training grounds she had started teaching him in.

They would start around 7:30 am and end at about 11:00 am every day. Unlike with Kisame's sword training, hers was more basic. She was like an introductory course for him as she taught things like how to easily transfer it between hands or how to make different fatal or nonfatal attacks. Kisame was more like an advanced course, teaching him to defend against much larger opponents, special techniques, and unique stances.

He only trained with her personally four or so days of the week, since she was attending to the paperwork or setting up the Chuunin exams. While she couldn't be there, he would end up being sat at a table near a ninja named 'Ibiki' to do scenario worksheets. Ibiki was in charge of torture for enemy ninja. He was a well buffed up man with a nice tan, a scar running down his face to add to his already intimidating appearance. He also found the man enjoyed scaring others as he tended to joke with Sasuke that if he didn't hurry with the work Anko left he might need to get the iron maiden out. Or at least Sasuke hoped he was joking. The teen finished too soon to find out. He would train for those four hours before finally receiving a break.

He had about an hour and a half break time to relax between 11:00 am and 12:30 pm where he would have to go to work. He would usually spend this time having lunch, often with Shikamaru or Neji. He took this time to rest or visit shops and look around if his body was up for it. He would then be off to work, where he would sit in a relaxing silence with Meiyo. Occasionally, Sasuke had begun opening up more to the older man and telling him about his training. Leaving out a few names, of course. The man had even given his blade a free sharpening and fixed a few dents in it from all the training.

Sasuke was always glad for this, enjoying using his blade fresh from the forge again. If he didn't have work that day, he tended to head out to lay with Shikamaru. He found it was an insanely peaceful relief on his body to just lay numb for a few hours, even falling asleep at times. Shikamaru was glad for the company, though warned him some others might begin to see him as lazy. Sasuke had only snorted at that, waving it off and explaining he was training harder than he had ever the last few weeks and that anyone who thought otherwise was going to get over it. After either a four and a half hour shift or a few hours of cloud gazing and napping, he finally headed off at about 5:00 pm.

He would either head home or head to the grocery store, depending on what the house needed. He normally got his chores done at around 5:30 pm, then it was straight off to training with Hashirama. They would train over either Taijutsu or occasionally healing. Healing was always odd. The first time they did it Sasuke couldn't stop staring at the area on his arm where previously there had rested a large scrape from training.

It was amazing how the chakra ran over the skin, glowing as it healed it. Sasuke also got a new appreciation for chakra, amazed by how early in the morning he would be chucking it against trees to have it destroy the entire trunk (Though given, he wasn't able to handle much but sparks at first), yet later in the day, it could gently heal over his skin. He enjoyed Hashirama's training as the brunette seemed to know how hard Sasuke's day had been. If it had been too bad, the man would have him take it easy and train in healing since they both knew Sasuke wouldn't want to take a break and seem incapable.

The training with Hashirama lasted until about half an hour, until 6:00 pm when Madara would come in. Sasuke knew better than to expect Madara to go easy on him. Just like Kisame, Madara trained roughly to push him past his limits so he excelled. They trained in genjutsu, something Sasuke had never used much outside of class as he had hated the thought of being like Itachi after the massacre. After all, in his young mind before Itachi returned his thought process was simple. Itachi was the embodiment of all things evil, so Sasuke should do everything to be the opposite of him. It wasn't a direct decision not to learn much genjutsu because Itachi used it, it was more of a subconscious choice because of his other choices to reject anything Itachi related.

Now, however, he found that he was naturally gifted when it came to genjutsu. It didn't take but a weak before he was able to make fully functioning illusions which looked identical to what they tried to copy. Within three weeks, he could make illusions you could touch and smell. Madara was impressed with this, the older man typically ending training off by placing a hand on the teen's head and telling him he did well as he headed out. Sasuke wouldn't be able to hold back a prideful smile. That was if he truly did well. There were a few occasions the teen hadn't had the motivation to try so Madara would just leave silently.

Sasuke found a sense of shame when Madara would leave because he wasn't trying. He would continue training on without the man, holding back the rush of emotions that would come at him. He knew Madara said not to hold in emotions, but he also knew it would be immature of him to allow his eyes to water over something he caused. Sasuke knew Madara left early because in his mind if he wasn't trying then he probably really needed a break, but to the teen, it just didn't click.

He would feel upset for disappointing the older Uchiha, followed by him feeling guilty for being upset as he knew how good he had it now in comparison to others. He didn't know where, but he was sure someone felt worse for better reasons. As such, on the rare occasions, this did happen, the teen would become upset for the rest of the day. This, in turn, leads him to be aggravated thanks to the Uchiha's 'Curse of Hatred'. He decided, having extra-strong emotions due to the blood in his veins as well as that emotion all turning to anger when he didn't acknowledge it was unfair.

So, in the end, he would end training either in a great mood or a terrible mood. Soon after Itachi would be home, and they would have dinner together at 6:30. It took Sasuke maybe fifteen minutes at most to quickly make something, followed by them all eating quickly as they had all had a long day. Madara and Hashirama with training him and doing research on the Hokages and current happenings in the village, Itachi with missions, and Sasuke with training and work. His day wasn't over however as soon after he would be out back with Itachi, training from 7:00 pm to when it got dark at around 8:00. They would train in basic fighting, combining everything Sasuke did throughout the day- Swords, ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu while strategy and chakra naturally came into the training while working on the others.

Once it was finally 8:00 pm, Sasuke would be done for the day. He would head to the bathroom and take a quick shower, not trusting himself to stay awake in the bath. He would then head straight to bed, where he would curl up and fall asleep quickly. By the end of the day, he was not only physically but also emotionally stressed and exhausted. He dreaded getting up the next day, but also knew he had to.

He had been going through a time in his life currently where he wasn't sure what to do. He was so used to his life being spent trying to kill Itachi that now he had no idea what he should be doing. Hell, he didn't even know if he wanted to be a ninja anymore. On those rare nights where he couldn't fall asleep, that was all he could think about. Why was he a ninja? Why was he spending nine and a half hours of training every day, slowly becoming more and more upset with his emotions due to the stress?

Slowly, he began to see the answer. He had been groomed to be one just as nearly every other child in the village had been. When you grow up in a clan, especially one as proud as the Uchiha, it isn't a question of 'What do you want to be when you grow up?'. The question was 'Do you think you'll join the police force or become a ninja for the village?'. There were very few other choices. While there were very few who did it, some did become shop owners or took on safer occupations. It was simply frowned upon to own a shop or do something of the sort if you had never been a ninja first.

Sasuke also knew the police force wasn't an option for him growing up thanks to his father's constant reminders it would be Itachi who took over the police station one day. So he was fully put in the spot to be a ninja to make his father proud. And that's just what he did for the first ten years of his life. Train to make his father proud. Then once his father was gone, his purpose was to kill Itachi. Now, he had no idea what to do.

Living in the same house as three extremely skilled and nearly unstoppable ninja, Sasuke couldn't help but feel small. Even if he was the strongest genin in the village or became a Chuunin he knew he wouldn't feel full. He knew he still wouldn't be as strong as the others- even if it was ridiculous to compare himself to them- and he would still have to purpose in pressing on. He knew until he found a new purpose, he would feel this strange emptiness.

T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K- T-K

Sasuke was currently thinking about this as he laid in his bed. Why did he want to be a ninja? That question ran through his head over another, his left curling into fists as he stared at the wall beside his bed. He could hear a few people moving around in the kitchen still, most likely getting ready for bed. He could hear the close by staircase creak, so he marked his assumptions are correct. He could still hear Madara and Hashirama having a light conversation, the brunette teasing and joking with the older Uchiha. So he assumed Itachi had been the one to head to bed.

Curling his hand into a tighter fist, he clenched his eyes. He hated the way he was feeling. He hated that, even if he truly did his best to reject the emotion, even if he told himself it was wrong, no matter what he did, there was still a hint of jealousy in him. Jealousy that he couldn't be stronger. He knew all three of them had needed to work on their skills for years and had been through just as many hardships as he if not more, but he still felt it. He was jealous they had a purpose to keep going. He was jealous they had the motivation to keep going. He was jealous they had the power to make such a huge difference without trying.

Itachi single-handedly convinced the Akatsuki, a group of S-Class criminals, to reform. Madara and Hashirama were powerful enough all they had to do was say they disapproved of the current Hokage and he would be brought down within a few months as if it was nothing. He just wished he could do something, anything to help. He just felt... useless. He heard the door to his bedroom open, and he sat up rapidly. He saw Madara at the door, holding his sword he had forgotten outside earlier. He watched the older man set the sword down, and open his mouth.

Sasuke hadn't even recognized the tears that had been peaking in the edge of his eyes as he was laying down. So now, as he heard Madara ask if he was alright and slowly come closer, Sasuke began to realize that he was in fact crying. He silently panicked, he didn't want Madara seeing him so weak. In the last two months or so they had been living with him, he had begun to look up to Madara as a sort of father figure. He didn't want him to see him crying. So he did the first thing that came to mind- he picked up the kunai on his dresser beside him and chucked it at the man. "Get out!" he demanded roughly, turning on his side, back towards the wall.

Madara seemed startled by the action, but backed up. He caught the kunai in his hand clumsily, not expecting it. There was now a nice clean slice across his palm. He could tell they weren't thrown to harm him but rather to tell him Sasuke was serious. Even so, he didn't feel comfortable leaving the teen there crying. When he had walked in he had seen Sasuke turn with not only tears in his eyes but also a furious scowl over his face. Madara slowly retreated, however, not good at handling other's emotions anyway. He did, however, know who was.

Hashirama was just heading upstairs, but Madara quickly caught him. Receiving a puzzled look, the younger of the two males grunted slightly and motioned over to Sasuke's room with his head. "He's upset. Not sure what about, but I came in and he threw a kunai at me before demanding I leave. You should go handle that. I can't deal with people when they're all emotional but I don't want to leave him like that."

Receiving a nod, Madara let go and headed upstairs while Hashirama headed to the bedroom. Hashirama cracked the door back open to hear muffled sobs that were obviously trying to be forced to stop. He headed over quietly, kneeling down beside him and setting a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. The teen turned and quickly shoved the hand off his shoulder, glaring at Hashirama with frustration. Hashirama quickly took hold of his arms, gently holding them down as the teen tried to shove him away. "Hey now, calm down. You don't need to shove. You and I both know you can't beat me out of the room quite yet, though you did give Madara quite the startle. Cut him pretty good too." he joked.

Hashirama could instantly see the guilt welling up in Sasuke's eyes as he heard he had hurt Madara, a fresh hick escaping his chest as he looked up at Hashirama from his spot on the bed. Hashirama watched as Sasuke sat up, trying to level out his breathing as best he could "I...cut...Madara?" he asked through his sobs. He really felt guilty now. As if he didn't feel guilty and stressed enough at the moment.

Quickly moving to sit on the bed beside him now that there was more room, the man took in how terrible the teen looked. He sincerely hoped this wasn't an every night thing they had been missing. Hashirama rubbed a hand over Sasuke's back, trying to assure him now that he was here at least. Much to the older ninja's surprise he didn't pull away or growl at him like Itachi had, instead, allowing his head to drop shamefully while accepting the move of affection. He tried to ease his guilt, "Don't worry, he knows you weren't aiming to hurt. It was just an accident. It was only on his palm, he'll be alright."

Seeing a slight nod from the teen, Hashirama lightly moved so he lifted Sasuke's chin up now that his cries had subsided. Sasuke's eyes immediately trailed away from Hashirama's, slightly embarrassed. He had grown just as close to Hashirama as he had Madara, though he found it less humiliating to cry in front of him. He didn't understand why, but he put that aside for now.

All he knew was he had an odd urge to receive some sort of comfort, even if he didn't think he deserved it. Eventually, he found himself laying on his bed, head on Hashirama's lap. He lightly played with the older ninja's long hair, listening as he asked just as Madara had what the matter was. Sasuke lightly pressed his face into the shirt Hashirama was wearing- it was a grey shirt that opened in the front but was tightly closed by an obi. "What's wrong, Sasuke?" he asked. It was one of his father's favorite shirts.

After all, they had only been sent into the world with the single pair they were wearing and it had to be washed or changed sometimes. So Sasuke had said they could wear whatever from the room upstairs. It hadn't been of any notice to him before, but now for some reason, it decided to make itself known to his conscience. He supposed it was because the anniversary of the clan's death was rapidly approaching- it would be next week. He didn't know if he could handle training all day next week. He could barely focus on this week's training, busy worrying about next week. "It's stupid," he muttered.

Hashirama allowed the teen the play with his hair between his fingers, running his own fingers through Sasuke's raven-colored hair in an attempt to soothe him. "I don't care how stupid you think it is. If it has you this upset it isn't stupid. It'll matter even if you're upset because Itachi refused to train with you extra tonight. No matter what it is." he smiled thinly. He had found this had worked with his daughter when she said it didn't matter, so he hoped it would work with Sasuke.

Rubbing at his eyes, Sasuke muttered "Stress." he didn't want to admit that he was jealous or the fact he was all but having an identity crisis at fourteen so he quickly decided it would be easy enough to point the finger at the Uchiha massacre. Not that it was a complete lie anyway, the idea of it coming up had him feeling like shit. He nuzzled his face quietly against the shirt "This was my dad's favorite shirt. He wore it all the time, even to work sometimes." he muttered tiredly "Next week. Death by blood loss from a sliced throat."

Hashirama's eyes softened, rubbing the teens back "It isn't stupid at all Sasuke. I know it's painful, but we'll all get through it together. I had no idea. You've been training extremely hard these last few weeks. I think you're more than ready for the exams, and that you deserve a nice break. I know you'll still have work and will need to train with Kakashi and Anko when next week starts off but tomorrow is Saturday. Take this weekend off from training with us and have an easy weekend." he assured the teen. He felt bad now for picking up the shirt.

Sasuke didn't respond, having fallen to sleep against the warmth of the other. Hashirama chuckled lightly and ran a hand through his hair. He allowed him to lay for a bit before lifting him up. He brought him up to his pillow, tucking him in. He now shared a pang of guilt with Sasuke. He had no idea the teen was this upset, but now that he looked into his chakra he could tell it was tight and edged. An obvious sign of stress. He sighed. He would have to make it up to Sasuke. He also needed to check on Itachi. Who knew how he would feel. On one hand, he could have blocked it all out, but on another, there was only so much emotional baggage one sixteen-year-old could handle. Even if he was an Uchiha.


	18. A 'Peaceful' Picnic

Sasuke woke up the next morning laying tucked into his bed. He shifted slightly under the sheets, arching his back as he stretched his well-worn muscles. He let out a light sigh, bringing his hands up to rub his temple. There was sunlight pouring in through his window, so he reached his arm up to cover his eyes for a brief moment. It was odd how bright it was, and he wondered for a moment how late he had slept in. He got up after a moment and headed to his closet, picking out some clothes for the day since he didn't have training.

The teen slid on a blue T-Shirt and some navy sweatpants, his body thankful for the less restricting clothes. Normally he wore training or fight ready clothing, so he would be ready to attack and defend himself. Then the bandages which usually were wrapped around his joints to keep his moves solid and strong now lay neatly on his end table. So wearing a nice comfortable outfit for once was nice. He brushed through his hair quickly before heading out of his bedroom.

Once he was out he was met with Hashirama's thin smile from the kitchen. "Good morning Sasuke." he greeted. Sasuke's room came directly out into the area between the kitchen and living room, so he didn't have to move far before he was standing over by Hashirama and offering him a nod of greetings as well. He noticed the man was busy cooking up some breakfast, much to Sasuke's confusion. Wasn't Itachi in charge of breakfast? He momentarily wondered if his brother had been called away for an emergency mission for the Akatsuki.

Instead, he was assured otherwise by a very confused Itachi coming down the stairs. The older teen soon joined them in the kitchen, looking over at Hashirama's cooking and apologizing quickly "I apologize, I don't know why my alarm never came this morning." obviously, he felt bad about not being awake to make breakfast as he should have been. Sasuke was more than confused now, especially as he didn't see Madara anywhere.

Hashirama turned to send Itachi a light chuckle, waving it off with the spatula in his hand. "Don't worry about it. I turned off your alarm. You don't get nearly enough sleep, barely two hours a day if you're lucky. I can hear you getting up every hour or so and it isn't healthy. You needed a chance to catch up on some sleep." he explained. He glanced at Sasuke and playfully bopped him on the head with the spatula "And you need a break from all this training as I said last night. Both of you are much too stressed for someone your ages." moving to finally slide the corn fritters he had made onto a plate. He gave them each a plate, which they accepted with a slight bow of thanks.

Soon they all headed over to the table, Sasuke sitting on one side of the table with Hashirama sitting in between the two Uchiha. They slowly began eating, Itachi glancing around before asking "Where did Madara go?" not sure where the man could have gone or if he was upstairs still. He didn't sense him even when he was focusing on the chakra in the house, and he didn't think he would be missing him. After all, it was one of his many skills he took pride in.

A sly smile covering Hashirama's face, the man explained "He's down at the area off to the side of the road that links the compound to Konoha. He thinks he knows where a perfect spot for today's events to happen but wants to make sure it's still there. Madara should be back soon, he's been gone for about an hour or two." moving to wipe his mouth off as he spoke, "He looked excited, in his own way, to show it to you both."

Sasuke, however, had other matters on his mind. "What do you mean today's events? Are we training again or something?" he asked, trying to keep the exhaustion out of his voice. He really wasn't in the mood for training. He just wanted to sit on the couch and watch television or read some of his books. He wouldn't complain however, knowing only a little over a month ago he would have sold his soul to go out with his family again.

"No, not training. We were thinking of heading out for a picnic at an area Madara and I used to enjoy going. It's hidden fairly well in the woods, near a stream. It used to be where our territories divided all those years ago before we decided we should be closer to the mountain so we had better coverage. It's nice and peaceful there, though it has been a while so we aren't sure if it's still intact." he noted, "We have been gone for nearly fifty years now."

Nodding in understanding, Itachi smiled thinly "I think that sounds like a great idea. But don't we need to be working on the Hokage plan? It's been over a month since the word started spreading as Madara said, we need a plan ready and proof fully assembled for the public in a nice clean format so everyone knows it's the truth." not wanting to get behind on the plan even if a day off sounded amazing. After all, with work like his, there weren't many breaks to catch.

Hashirama nodded in understanding "While it is important that we keep going with the plan, a day off won't hurt anyone. If you keep sprinting and never stop to catch your breath you'll likely pass out. Stop to take water and breath breaks, and you'll find yourself there before anyone else." he advised, Itachi nodding and taking his words into consideration. After all, even if Itachi was a prodigy he still knew to give heed to the words of someone as strong and wise as Hashirama. Even if the jokester never really gave the time to focus on acting as strong as he was.

Soon after the front door opened, revealing Madara. He came in, leaning on the counter across the room as he spoke "So they finally decided to wake up, eh?" he smirked. Sasuke felt his ears redden at the comment, Itachi quietly scoffing and looking away from the older Uchiha. "Mhm, anyway, the area down there is all cleared. Though, looks like it's been used since we were there." his smirk widened and he glances sideways at Sasuke "I was walking back using the road since I figured no one would be headed this way anyway. Well, I was wrong. As I was walking back I had to split up a fight."

Sasuke raised a brow at this, along with the others. "A pair of girls. Blonde and pink-haired. Both had a present box with them. They ended up squabbling on the road, nothing too serious, but still. So I pulled them apart and asked what the hell they were doing. Turns out they were going to deliver their 'feel better presents' to their friend. Anyone have any guesses over who they were delivering to?" he snorted.

The youngest in the room moved his hands to his temple. Ino and Sakura. Fucking great. Damn fangirls must have finally caught wind of the massacre after all the rumors started to spread about Hashirama, Madara, and Itachi. He had been lucky enough that most of his peers had no idea about when it happened, besides Neji or Shikamaru since they were all only children at the time and didn't have conversations with the adults who would have known. They had only really known that it had happened sometime during the year. That and the ANBU did their best to keep it quiet. Now that the fangirls knew, he had a feeling he was going to wish Itachi had ended him that night too.

Hashirama was holding in laughter, while Itachi repressed a smile. Hashirama likely jabbed Sasuke's side "Feel better present. You didn't tell us you had such hardcore fangirls. I know the Uchiha men are popular but damn." he joked. Sasuke lightly smacked his hand away in his annoyance, looking away and puffing out a single cheek as he did so. He made a small scoffing noise at the news, deciding not to give it any acknowledgment.

Madara chuckled lightly and came behind Sasuke, lightly squeezing the younger Uchiha's side as he used to do to his little brother. Sasuke let out a noise that sounds somewhere between a squeak and a growl. "Looks like theirs hope to revive the Uchiha clan yet." he smirked "You're the perfect example of an Uchiha. Smart, handsome, and strong. What lady wouldn't want a piece of that." he teased lightly, much to the younger's humiliation.

Giving no response to that, Sasuke only glared back at the older while protectively holding his sides to prevent a further assault on them. He felt the heat rising to his face, from both the ego fluff and the idea of him going out with any of those girls. They were all just brainless vermin in his mind. More than one had no goals in life besides marrying and have children with Sasuke to become 'Mrs. Uchiha'. While many men would enjoy being given all their attention and having girls throw themselves at them, Sasuke did not. He found it to be weak, feeling a person should live their life for them and them alone.

Sasuke finally spoke "I would rather the clan go extinct than be with any of those girls." he snorted, knowing they would also treat him like a trophy if they got him. "Not to mention if any children did come of it the clan would recede into stupidity. I don't have enough smarts for the both of us," he grumbled the last part, though the others heard and seemed to find it amusing enough.

Madara chuckled lightly and gave him a rough pat on the back before finally, he let it go, much to Sasuke's relief. Hashirama put his hands together. "So then, let's start heading out after we pack a few things. I and Madara will handle food. Sasuke, get the basic medical supplies just in case and Itachi go look for a blanket we can all sit on so we don't get the food dirty." he assigned each person, before standing. The two younger ones nodded, Sasuke getting a bag for the medical supplies and Itachi going upstairs to get the spare ones out of his closet.

The two older ninjas quickly made a few sandwiches and packed some waters, then threw in a few ice pops in the cooled area of the box where ice packs resided. They knew Sasuke wasn't one for sweets, so they made sure to pack a few of the fruit-flavored pops too. Soon enough the other's came down, and they were off. They walked down towards the route, the walk taking about fifteen or so minutes. Unfortunately, as they got close, they could see a certain blonde ninja stomping towards them.

Sasuke let out a long quiet breath, so much for relaxing on his day off. The hyperactive ninja sprinted over to Sasuke, lifting his hand to point accusingly at him. They all stopped, excluding Sasuke who continued walking down the road. Maybe if he ignored him he would go away. "Hey bastard, don't ignore me!" came the demand. Or not. Sasuke turned around as no one else had continued on, eyebrow twitching slightly in annoyance at his team member.

Itachi seemed amused as Sasuke spoke with a completely different tone than he used at the house, rather than calm and quiet his voice was smooth and annoyed, though, also rough. "What the hell do you want, idiot?" he finally addressed him. Madara raised a brow in amusement. He noticed he rarely heard Sasuke cursing or annoyed besides when interacting with this 'Naruto' boy.

A growl escaped Naruto's throat "You made Sakura cry! She was sitting alone at the market center holding a present and was upset. I know you did it to her, you probably rejected her like the heartless bastard you are! I told you to stop being such a hardass, she's our teammate now so you have to be nice to her." he spoke firmly and with one of his rarely serious voices.

"I don't have to be nice just because she's on my team. It's my job to cooperate with her to finish missions and get the village money. Not to lead her on or pretend to like her. She's annoying. And I don't give a damn about what you told me, I don't take orders from morons. Now go away, I'm busy." he snorted.

Naruto gaped for a moment "Busy doing what? It just looked like you were walking to me, you son of a-" being cut off by a light jab on the back of the neck. He growled and moved his hands on reflex to cover the spot, swinging around to glare at the man who had done it. Madara raised a brow as Naruto glared daggers at him, glaring back at him in response.

"Watch your mouth, kid. He's going somewhere with us, and there is none of your business before you ask. He did not make this girl cry, he was at the house all morning. I made her cry most likely by sending her on her way so she didn't harass Sasuke with that other girl. They have no right to barge onto his property and demand his affection. So unless you want to fight me, I would get lost." he warned. Back at the house, he had teased Sasuke of course, but he also was prepared to have his descendants back if necessary. He was sure the kid was only being rash, but none the less he figured it would shut him up.

He was wrong. Naruto gave a wound up look and practically bounced up "Fine then, let's go, I don't care who you are. You don't know Sakura so you don't have a right to say she was in the wrong." he demanded, going into a fighting stance. He was quickly knocked out of it by Sasuke, who used his knuckle to knock him over the head with an annoyed look on his face. He sent Naruto a warning look, one that the blonde knew all too well. Naruto grabbed his head and spun around to look at Sasuke "What do you think you're doing? Hey, don't send me that look, this situation is nothing like the others. I know you always say not to misspeak of the dead, but obviously he's plenty alive." he snorted and flailed his arms over towards Madara and Hashirama.

Itachi moved his hand up to rest on his temple, the younger teen reminding him somewhat of Tobi and his yelling at the moment. Sasuke muttered "That isn't my point, Naruto. Putting graffiti on the Hokage monument is one thing but it's a whole other thing too-" but stopped speaking as he saw Madara raise a brow in disbelief, Hashirama's jaw drop, and Itachi shakes his head in disbelief.

Hashirama stared at the kid for a moment "Why would you graffiti the monument, us Hokage's worked hard on this village. Don't you think we deserve to at least not be defaced-" even Madara seemed to agree with him on that point. If the clan's leader temple was burned or defaced he had no idea how he'd react. Itachi sighed a bit, a disappointed look on his face. This was the upcoming ninja generation.

Moving a hand to rest on his side, Naruto pointed a finger accusingly at Hashirama "It doesn't matter, because I'm going to be a better Hokage than any of them! Believe it!" he declared. Hashirama rose a brow at this. Well, when you hear your monument has been defaced you wouldn't guess it was because the one who did it wanted to be in your place. Sasuke rolled his eyes and crossed his arms in annoyance, and it was obvious to the three older ninjas he had heard this speech plenty already.

The first Hokage sighed shook his head with a light smile that surprised the others. He was probably the only Hokage besides the fourth who would let it go so fast. Hashirama moved to tussle Naruto's hair, much to the boy's aggravation and confusion. "Well, maybe one day. You seem honest enough for it, and you definitely don't lack the bravery." Sasuke coughed out 'stupidity', leading Naruto to glare at him. Ignoring this, Hashirama offered "Here, Sasuke's been busy training the last month or so. I doubt you two have seen much of each other. Why don't you join us at our picnic."

Eventually, Naruto agreed, moving up beside Sasuke and saying he missed his bastard. Itachi sweatdropped, walking behind Naruto and Sasuke with Hashirama and Madara. "Well, their friendship is interesting, to say the least." Hashirama nodding a bit in agreement. It was similar to how Madara and his friendship had been, really.

Sasuke turned around as he heard his brother, sending him a pointed glare as they arrived. They headed down a longer path and Naruto pointed out "Hey, isn't this where sensei was teaching you that Chidori thing?" Sasuke nodded a bit as he realized this. Kakashi and he had ended up training here since Sasuke had insisted he stay close to the village. Originally, the man had wanted to train at the top of a mountain, for some reason. Edgy ass.

They continued walking and quickly Hashirama saw what Madara meant by 'it has been used'. A few trees had been knocked over, while others appeared to have burn marks on the bark. There were also a few stray marks around the area, which he recognized as chakra burns. Obviously, some intense chakra training had gone on. The biggest, however, was the large hole in the bolder, which was large enough for three grown men to sit in it. What was interesting though, was the fact it looked to be made with one strike. Hashirama looked at Madara "He destroyed our bolder." he pouted lightly.

They two had used to argue back and forth all the time over who the bolder belonged to, Madara claiming it was on his side of the river while Hashirama demanding it had fallen off his side's mountain. That was back when they were young, however, being ten or so at the time. Sasuke rolled his eyes "For one, Kakashi did that. For two, that hole it way more useful like that."

Naruto gave him a doubting look, and Sasuke rolled his eyes. He went over to the bolder and easily crawled into it, a lot of rooms being left still. He pointed out "See, a great spot for meditation when it rains and we can't train fully." he explained. Madara chuckled and headed over, sticking his hand in bolder with a nod in understanding. Soon enough Itachi moved to get the blanket ready and the adults helped set the basket down on it.

Meanwhile, Naruto crawled in the bolder to sit with Sasuke, the two talking back and forth about training. Since they sat up the picnic so close to the bolder, they could easily hear him speaking. Itachi passed them both a sandwich as they spoke, both thanking him before continuing their respective conversations. After it quieted down Itachi couldn't resist the interest and pointed out "So Naruto, I heard you're being trained by one of the three sannin. I'm surprised someone convinced him to train you. He's not one to stay in one spot for a long time."

This only earned him an annoyed look from Naruto. "That old pervert isn't teaching me anything besides how to sneak into the girl's washroom." crossing his arms in aggravation "All he ever tells me is to meditate and work on controlling the chakra while he does 'research'. Then when I point out what a crappy teacher he is he just tells me to shut up or he'll go see if Sasuke wants to train with him. That's a low blow and he knows it."

Sasuke pointed out "Well chakra control is sort of important for you. You don't want to end up letting it take over. Last time it almost killed Sakura." he reminded as gently as he could. He had already told Madara and Hashirama about the ninetails and his brother had been around during the attack so he knew. Sasuke and Sakura had found out the hard way when they were training for the first time and Sakura had made a jab at the fact he was so reckless due to his lack of parents to punish him once again. This had pissed off both Sasuke and Naruto, Kakashi even giving her the warning to behave.

Not long after she had made a harsher jab while Sasuke was with Kakashi having his leg looked at. Which had resulted in Naruto attacking, the ninetails unintentionally coming out because of emotional distress. Kakashi had been forced to explain everything to the two, and after that Sakura had kept her comments to herself and became more considerate of her words.

Naruto huffed and nodded "I know, I know." before something clicked in his head. "Oh yeah, Sasuke remember that sand ninja we met who helped pull that puppet guy away from the kids? He's training with us too. Gaara. He has the Shukaku in him. He didn't want to be training with us at first but he's really chilled out since the beginning. It turns out his seal was really weak and that's why the demon kept coming out. It still does, but he can better restrain it now. Pervy sage had to have him lay stomach-down on a bolder while he tried to strengthen the seal on his back." he explained.

The older three ninjas were interested, not knowing much of the Shukaku. "He had trouble at first because Gaara's sand kept moving to cover his back wherever sage tried to touch. So then he got annoyed and asked why he kept trying to shield himself and we found out what was going on with the sand." he explained "He doesn't control it on his own, apparently his father sealed the demon in him while he was still in his mother so the demon infused with him and her. He told us his mother died in childbirth and the sand has her spirit. So then we had to wait a bit before his mother trusted him and finally she let him put the seal on him. The sealing hurt I guess because Gaara screamed and pervy sage got his hand crushed by the sand after the fact."

Sasuke nodded slightly "That's interesting that the sand that protects him is his mother. Maybe now he'll be able to get some sleep. I met him at the medication shop when I was going to pick up my medication and he was there too. We ended up speaking for a while as we waited on our bags to be made and he told me he was there because he needed his medication for his insomnia. Apparently, he can't sleep much because the Shukaku comes out a night." he explained. That was just a snippet of a long conversation involving Gaara pointing out he could see he held a lot of pain in him. Sasuke had said it was none of his business and they had ended up somehow speaking about what had caused them to go down their respective roads. It was an interesting topic at least. Though they didn't go far into the demon discussion nor too deep into the clan's death discussion.

Naruto nodded "He's pretty cool to be around, especially now that his demon has been sealed off. Apparently, the one who sealed me did it to well and he had to loosen it so I could control it. Pervy sage said it was his old student who sealed it inside me. The fourth Hokage." huffing a bit "He said that's why he agreed to train me" glancing at Itachi as that was his original question before he got off track "He said I look a lot like the fourth and that's the reason he took me on as a student. But since he also ended up training Gaara under the request of the Kazekage, I figure it also has something to do with the demons." he suggested.

Itachi nodded in understanding- the boy did look like Lord Fourth. Hashirama smiled at the boy "My wife was the first one to control the ninetails. Mito Uzumaki was her name. She always used to say the only way to counter the ninetails was with love." he smiled thinly at the memory. "When did you have it sealed in you? I know my wife wasn't sealed until she was much older than you are now. I'm surprised the other boy, Gaara, was sealed in the womb. It must have put a lot of strain on the poor mother." his eyes saddened slightly.

In fact, the sealing was probably the reason the mother died would be Hashirama's guess. The blonde shrugged "I've been the cage for the tailed beast since I was born. I don't know the details but I had been born a few hours. The nailtails was attacking the village and I guess I was the best option for a vessel. My guess is Gaara was also a convenient vessel." he shrugged.

Madara and Hashirama both shared glances. They both also similar opinions on this as well. That it was terrible the village would put this strain on children, let alone a newborn baby. But there was one thing that the two were really wondering about. Who in the hell were Naruto's parents? Surely they wouldn't just give up their baby to have a demon sealed in him. They knew they were either dead or abandoned him since Sasuke had mentioned he was an orphan too. Hashirama attempted to ask their question without doing it in a way that would hurt the boy. "I see. Your parents must be proud you're holding up so well. It isn't easy being a vessel."

Itachi and Sasuke both grimaced at that, and they knew what that meant. "Maybe. Don't know much about them besides one of them was an Uzumaki. Just like your wife then." he smiled rubbing the back of his neck despite the circumstances. He turned to look at Sasuke and laughed "I remember once Sakura tried to take a jab at that topic and Sasuke lost his shit." he smirked "Sasuke loves me~" he jokes, dramatically wrapping an arm around his friend.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, shoving Naruto off him and getting out of the bolder. Sasuke went to mock-hide behind Itachi. "Nii-San he keeps assaulting me." Naruto pouting as the other left. Naruto, in one swift jump, came down so he was sitting beside Sasuke. He looked over at the other teen with a doubting look, Sasuke stubbornly huffing and taking one of the ice pops to eat that Madara handed him.

Madara inquired, changing the subject for Sasuke's sake, "So I hear you'll be participating in the chuunin exams with Sasuke. It's only a week away, I hope you're prepared. Its like Itachi has been telling Sasuke. There is ninja there who have been going since they were your age. You'll be the easy pickings for once." he smirked. The blonde only gave a snort, obviously not believing this.

They all continued on chattering about something or another until it became dark. They then headed off, going their different ways. As they parted Hashirama waved to Naruto, who was going in the opposite direction. "See you around, kid." he waved. They soon headed back, Sasuke tired from the day's events. He was relaxed, not having thought about the upcoming week of hell at all. Being around Naruto was a strange sort of stress relief, even if the moron did get on his nerves a lot of the time.

Sasuke headed into the kitchen when they got home, making everyone some dinner right quick. Madara ended up heading upstairs to take a shower, Hashirama looking for something to watch on the television, and Itachi heading over to help Sasuke. Kisame hadn't shown up today as he knew the week coming up as well. He knew because every year despite Itachi's best efforts he was more snappish than usual all that week. So he had learned to leave him alone during this time.

Sasuke soon finished making dinner and they all sat down once Madara was downstairs. It was odd seeing his hair without its usual fluff, but Sasuke didn't say this out loud. Instead, they all enjoyed a nice, calm, dinner.


	19. The Long Dreaded Day

Sunday had been nice and relaxing, the two teens spending most of their time on the couch beside either Madara while he read or Hashirama as he watched television. Madara and Hashirama could both see the rising anxieties in the younger teens, and it hit them that this was going to be the first time they were ever together for the anniversary of their clan's death.

They had no idea if the two would find themselves more tempered with each other or if they would stick closer together now that the truth was out. Sasuke and Itachi had no idea either.

It was now Monday, and Sasuke woke up around 4:00 am. Kisame had left them a note saying he would be away with missions so he couldn't train with Sasuke, but the teen had to half question if it was because of the week's events. Sasuke changed into some training attire, his normal blue themed ones.

He headed out of his room to get breakfast afterward and was only half surprised to see Itachi was already gone for the Akatsuki. He felt a hint of exasperation at his brother for running off. He knew it had to be hard for him too, but that didn't change the fact they would have to face it eventually.

He shook his head slightly and picked up a piece of toast and his egg. He put the egg on the toast and like that he was out the door. He changed his mind quickly, understanding why Itachi wouldn't want to stay in the house or compound at all.

After all, it was the place their entire family was killed. As he walked out the front gates he gradually ate the food, keeping his head down as he walked. He didn't want to look up, knowing he would see the non-existent gore over the sidewalks. He could still see small puddles of it at his feet despite himself, the teen tensing his eyes shut at the sight. It wasn't real, he reasoned with himself.

After eating only half his food, he threw the rest away knowing he couldn't eat anymore. His stomach was turning, threatening already to expel the food. He slowly made his way towards the training terrains, kicking the dirt along the way with a scowl. He entered the training grounds just in time to see Kakashi leaning against a tree.

The man looked over at him and Sasuke straightened up a bit as the time for training arrived. This was also the first time he had ever trained with Kakashi on the anniversary. He figured the other wouldn't bring it up, but was woefully mistaken.

"Sasuke, are you sure you should be here right now? A few days of missed training won't kill you." flipping a page in his book as he spoke without even looking up "I'm sure your other sensei will understand as well. You've been working yourself to the ground this last three weeks or so." Kakashi pointed out.

He looked up with a knowing smile and added "Well, besides maybe Anko, but I'm sure the others won't mind." he then returned to his book with a hum, waiting for Sasuke to respond.

The Uchiha's face turned a light red at the fact his Sensei knew he was training with more than just him and Anko. He pushed this away however as he spoke "I'm fine." glancing away at the mention of his other sensei besides him and Anko.

Sasuke slowly headed over to stand by Kakashi "How did you know I had more than two sensei?" he asked after a moment of uncertainty.

Kakashi looked up from his book, flipping a page as he did so "Sasuke, you can't hide these sort of things from me. Not that it was especially difficult to figure out. You shouldn't be as tired as you are if it was just me, Anko, and work. Not to mention how many stray marks you have on your body. Marks I didn't put on you and Anko has been too occupied to put on you." he pointed out, and suddenly Sasuke felt foolish for trying to keep his other sensei a secret.

The silver-haired Jonin closed his novel finally "So are you going to tell me who your other sensei are? Or am I going to have to go investigating?" leaning down to level with the fourteen-year-old. "It couldn't be that you're so tired from training with Lord First and the great Ghost of the Uchiha, could it?" he suggested. Sasuke was wondering how long it would take him to figure it out, or rather, how long he had known. "But there's more than that, isn't there Sasuke? Who else has been instructing you?" he prompted.

Sasuke glanced away slightly, silent for a few seconds before he spoke "Hashirama and Madara have been living with me for one month and about three weeks. They have been training me for three weeks. They heard about how rough the Chuunin Exams are and they know some shinobi are too rough with it and go overboard, killing other competitors at times. So they wanted to make sure I didn't die, that's all. I wasn't trying to keep it hidden, I just didn't think it mattered much. I'm sorry." he spoke honestly, leaving out the part about Itachi since he didn't want him killed or in danger.

It was fairly obvious Kakashi didn't believe him. "Oh? So the less spoken about reports of Itachi being there are lies then I suppose. How impolite of Shikamaru and Neji to spread such tales about him being there. I'll make sure I have a talk with their sensei so they know their students are spreading lies." he falsely assured the teen, who jolted slightly at the idea of his friends being humiliated.

He hated lying to his sensei who he had grown so close to, as well as hearing a soft reminder in the back of his mind that he should never leave his comrades to take the fall. This was most likely Kakashi's doing. He sighed lightly, knowing he would have to admit to it sooner or later if Itachi was to be marked as a nonexile. "Don't kill him. The rumors are true, he is back, but don't kill him. He did what he had to do to protect the village. He has been teaching me along with his partner Kisame. They're both sided with making peace, they don't want a fight." he didn't care if he sounded as though he was practically begging. He didn't want them killed.

Kakashi's single eye showed nothing for a moment, the older man clearly able to see the distress on his young student's face. With this new information, he knew he couldn't bring himself to train the boy today. He needed answers for himself and for the other jonin. After all, the Hokage was very close to sending someone to spy into the Uchiha compound to see what was going on. Many had wondered why the Hokage hadn't sent for investigation, and now Kakashi knew why. If this was all just a lie then it wouldn't look good on the village.

Finally, he spoke after shaking his head back and forth briefly. He wanted to believe his student but also knew, despite how smart he was, he was still only a fourteen-year-old boy. He could fall into the trap of believing Itachi just because it was easier for his mind than dealing with the truth just as anyone his age would. Then leading to him unknowingly protecting a pair of criminals.

He needed to see this for himself. "Sasuke, I trust you, but I'll need to see this for myself as soon as physically possible. I have to report this to the Hokage directly since I'm a jonin. If what you say is true, it's important I tell the other jonin the truth too, however. The village is in a panic over the news and want it looked into. But I'm sure that's exactly what you all were planning, wasn't it? Well, let me help then by confirming it before the end of the day when I'll be forced to report it. Technically I should be going now to report it Sasuke. My word will hold much better for the other my rank than the genin's word. Even if you all are amazing, you're smart enough to know rank accounts for a lot in the ninja world." he explained.

Sasuke nodded slightly in understanding. "I know. Just please don't tell anyone that will kill them." glancing away slightly in embarrassment "They're like my family now, I don't want them killed. You said commands come before rules, I'm your comrades, aren't I? Or do genin not account for enough to be considered a comrade?" he muttered the last bit, his foul mood coming into play.

Luckily, Kakashi didn't seem to hold it against the teen, reaching down to put a hand on his head. "You, Sakura, and Naruto are all my comrades. It doesn't matter if you're genin or in the ANBU. I will not allow any of you to fall if it's within my control. If Itachi and Kisame are your comrades, then unless they threaten the village or you, they're my comrades too. The same goes for Madara and the first Hokage. I just need to go over to make sure you really are safe and that the village is really safe as well."

The teen slowly nodded in understanding, muttering "You could come over later tonight I guess. I don't want you to be in trouble with the Hokage for not reporting right away. But Itachi isn't going to be in the best mood most likely and Kisame said he's staying away because he didn't want to be in the crossfire he's assuming will happen." he explained "But Madara and Hashirama will be there. Madara said he wanted to meet you one day, to see how a non-Uchiha would handle wielding our Kekki Genkai. Hashirama also mentioned he wanted to meet you one day because you sounded like a true shinobi to him."

Kakashi would be lying if he said he didn't feel a bit proud at the idea that the first Hokage had indirectly praised his work as a shinobi. He pressed this away at the moment to focus on his student. He shook his head back and forth "Alright. I'll be there around six if that's alright with you. I know you have work until five so that gives you a free hour to get what needs to be done." he suggested. Seeing a nod, he smiled thinly and did something he rarely took the time to do. He wrapped an arm around the teen's shoulder, suggesting "It's five-thirty already. You look tired, I'm guessing you didn't sleep too well."

Sasuke nodded slightly in confirmation, not having slept much the day prior. "When I first heard who my students would be, I went to check with Iruka over anything I should know. He told me you got pretty off-balance during this week." seeing his puzzled look Kakashi explained "Not being able to sleep, getting paranoid, skipping meals, having a temper. Things of that sort."

He got a glare from Sasuke as they walked towards the village, "Yes, because I decide to stay up late, watching television." he spoke sarcastically. He knew he slept little due to his nightmares being enhanced during this week. "And I don't skip meals, I just am not as hungry this week," he muttered. He couldn't say anything against the temper remark however as he did, in fact, find himself getting angry at the other point.

"And it isn't paranoia. I would wake up to him watching me from the tree outside my window with this...this...sadistic smirk on his face. Like he was taunting me because none of the older ninjas could sense him. He knew he was making me look insane, he did it on purpose. Like when he would follow me home hiding easily in a crowd. Or watch me in class that week, he knew I would look psychotic. That's why he did it." forgetting for a moment that his brother was back and had a good enough reason for doing what he did. "He was taunting me," he growled.

After allowing the teen to get his frustration out of his system, Kakashi lightly ran a hand over his student's shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. It worked, the teen quieting down and his angered expression melting into one of confusion. It was obvious to Kakashi he felt lost. The reason why he understood, was because he had felt a similar sort of loss in purpose after his father had died but before he had understood and accepted his reasons for leaving him. Kakashi stopped them at a tree stump just a few minutes from the village. He moved Sasuke so he was sitting on the stump.

Sasuke looked over at his teacher in discomfort, feeling as though a lecture was coming on as the jonin knelt down in front of him to look at him. Instead, the man gave a nervous smile. Sasuke was surprised by this nervous smile, his sensei never being one to get nervous. He almost looked around for enemies. Kakashi slowly reached his hands up to his mask, sliding it down to reveal his face. The man then lifted his headband up to reveal his full face, much to Sasuke's obvious surprise.

The young genin quickly scanned over the man's face. He had nothing specifically odd going on, besides a small beauty mark on his chin. That, and the scar along his face was much longer than he thought previously. Kakashi couldn't help but smile thinly at his student's curious look. After giving him a moment to absorb everything he finally spoke "Sasuke, why did you think I hid my face?" he asked, seeing this as a good learning moment for the teen.

Sasuke's face went a scarlet as he resisted the urge to looked away, embarrassment bubbling up at the many thoughts Naruto had put in his head of odd mutations or ridiculous lips and teeth he may have been hiding. "I don't know, I figured you were hiding something," he admitted and could see a smirk of amusement playing on his sensei's lips.

Slowly the silver-haired jonin explained "When I was a little boy, just about four I think, I told my father I wanted to be in the ANBU just as he had been once." he smiled thinly. "He told me the ANBU was harsh, but I insisted. So, we made a bet. If I could go until I was six years old wearing the mask then he would give me his permission to join. Since you have to have the permission of the parents to join before sixteen, excluding orphans or rare cases. I accepted. I was supposed to be able to remove it at age six."

The teen nodded slightly, not liking the suddenly sober look his sensei gave. Kakashi moved to lightly bow his head as he spoke "But my father died before this could happen. He performed Seppuku on himself as I'm sure you have heard over the years. I walked in on him, bleeding out from his stomach." he explained. "He had failed a mission at the time which could have prevented the third shinobi war. Stopping to go back for his comrades. He wanted to restore honor for me, thinking I was ashamed to be his son. For a long time, I hated him for leaving me. He was my closest friend at the time. Because of what others said after he was gone, I felt ashamed to be recognized as his son and wore the mask to hide." he sighed.

Sasuke bowed his head slightly with Kakashi, feeling terrible as he knew how it felt to find your loved ones dead and be forced to blame the one you truly had depended on. "But you know what, Sasuke?" the jonin looked up slightly with a sad smile "After a while, I realized something. Everyone lives their own lives and has their own reasons for doing things. Reasons we have no way of understanding from a point of view which is clouded with anger and frustration. As well as when you sacrifice everything to help those around you, there is no guarantee it will work. I later also realized that he had not left to escape the shame through cowardice, but that he left because he felt he was shaming me. He was trying to make me feel better, even at the cost of his life. I now wear it as a sign of gratitude towards him. For his sacrifice."

"Hashirama would have liked your dad, I think. He sounds like a good guy." Sasuke noted. Suddenly, it clicked in Sasuke's mind what Kakashi was trying to say. "So, you're saying maybe Itachi didn't do it to make me look psychotic?" he asked. "You think maybe he had some other reason? When he was explaining what he did he said he did it to stop a civil war and to stop me from being killed viciously." glancing down "He was supposed to kill me that night, you know. But he couldn't. So he said he made me hate him so I would kill him. I guess maybe he was following me to make me hate him more. Then leading to me having a reason to keep going. Which was working, apparently." he noted, realizing Kakashi was right about not being able to understand through the grief and pain.

Kakashi smiled thinly at his student "Perhaps. But theirs only one person who could answer that question for sure." he slowly moved his mask up and fixed his headband. He helped Sasuke up and hummed as they continued their walk. The mood was slightly tighter now, however, and Kakashi didn't like the idea of stressing Sasuke out more than necessary this week. He took out his book, not having to glance up as he leads Sasuke into a sushi restaurant. "You, my father, my mother, and the Fourth Hokage are the only ones to ever see my face."

The two sat down, and Sasuke smiled thinly at that, the mood lightening. Kakashi sat right beside Sasuke at the booth, the two sitting close. Kakashi knew how much his approval meant to the teen so he didn't mind allowing him a view of his face or pride in being his obviously favored student. After all, ask any other jonin and they would tell you. Sasuke was Kakashi's pride and joy, even if he wouldn't admit it. He had no idea what he would do if the teen ever died. It would rank in with the loss of his team and father, that was for sure.

They ordered sushi, Kakashi insisting his student eat something. After the earlier revealing of his face, Sasuke wasn't in the mood to argue. He was going on that same happy energy he got when Madara or Hashirama praised him. They both ate slowly, Kakashi eating with his head turned to the wall. After all, it wasn't just his little genin that wanted to see his face. By this point, he was surprised he hadn't been cornered by an ANBU squad wanting to see his face.

The time to head to Anko's training area came far too soon for Sasuke, but he parted with his teacher none the less. After all, he would always be able to see him later. Sasuke headed over to the training area, or rather, the torture chambers. Anko greeted him with a slight wave "Hey, kid, I have to head up to the Hokage's office to work some more on the exams. You'll be staying here with Ibiki today. Work on the strategy sheets I left with him as usual, and if you really need to you can leave and take them with you. Good luck."

Sasuke headed down the stairs to take the papers from Ibiki as usual. He sat at the table, swallowing the lump in his throat at seeing the dried blood on the table. It was there every day, after all, it was in the interrogation room, but today was not a day he needed to deal with blood. Ibiki apparently understood this, the man not taking the time he normally would tease Sasuke about being the one in the iron maiden today. It was odd, but it was a bond they had begun to share none the less. All Sasuke knew was, he never wanted to be found guilty of any crime in Konoha.

The teen worked over the sheets while Ibiki sharped the tools, a silence falling between them for a while. Eventually, Ibiki found himself dropping the tool he was sharpening in a startled fashion, letting out a light grunt as he had cut himself on accident. A bit of blood leaked from the bulky man's hand, and Sasuke shot up. He gathered the papers, muttering to the older man "I have to go. Anko already gave me permission."

However, as he turned to leave, the man took hold of Sasuke's wrist with the bloodied hand. Sasuke grimaced, clenching his eyes as he felt it up against his arm. Ibiki didn't falter however as he leads the teen back down. "Sasuke, you can't just run off every time you see blood. I understand today is the anniversary of a day you would much rather forget, but you need to understand something. Anko told me you'll be taking part in the Chuunin Exams?"

Sasuke followed despite his wanting to dart off. He really wasn't in the mood for a lecture but nodded none the less. "Exactly. Sasuke, if you want to pass and become a chuunin you have to realize what this means. This means a higher paygrade and rank, yes, but also more dangerous missions and less protection from the others. You may still be paired with genin for your squad. This means it will be your responsibility to look after them just as much as it will be the Jonin of your group."

Well, the teen definitely hadn't thought about it like that before. "Well, if you can't protect them, some will die. It is extremely rare to get through the chuunin rank without losing a few genins along the way. This can and has scarred many ninjas to see their charge's die on their watch. It happens to almost everyone, so if it happens to you then you can't be like this every day on the Anniversary of their death. It will lead to only more deaths, and then it continues on and on. Ninjas die. That is the hard truth."

Ibiki might have felt bad as Sasuke winced at the force of his words, if he didn't know it was for his own good and if he hadn't dealt with mental and physical torture for years. "Your clan was a brave and noble one. Many of them put their life on the line every day for this village. They might be gone now, but if they could see you would they want their last living relative to shake at the sight of blood and hide behind a Jonin for every mission? I don't think so. I think they would want you to be brave, and move past their deaths. If you are forever afraid to die or see death, Itachi might as well of ended you that night to prevent the deaths you would cause out on the field. Do you understand?" he asked firmly.

After a moment Sasuke gave a slight nod of understanding, knowing he was right even if his words were brash. The teen slowly moved over to sit back down, Ibiki cleaning the wound quietly. A silence came over them once again, though now Sasuke had something to think about and Ibiki was able to properly focus on his own paper. He was writing the tests for the exam.

Sasuke's training came to an end soon enough, and he was finally able to turn in his papers. He headed off for lunch. He ended up sitting beside Neji at a food stand, walking over to him as he seemed to look unhappy. To anyone else, besides the brunettes teammates, it would appear Neji was fine. However, Sasuke could see the slight slump in his shoulders and tired look. Sasuke sat down beside him, ordering a Caprese salad skewer. As he waited for it he asked the slightly older ninja "Are you alright?"

As if Sasuke was in any position to be asking that, with how he was feeling. "I'm fine, Sasuke. Thank you. Are you doing alright?" Neji asked, well aware of what day it was for Sasuke. He didn't want to burden the Uchiha with his problems too. He had an aching headache, from what anyone who knew him would know. Sasuke could easily tell his friend's seal had been activated, as he noted he wasn't wearing his shinobi headband and instead wore his much softer white bandanna with a buckle in the back to cover his mark. The one he usually wore under his headband to hide his mark.

Sasuke had gone through this conversation before with Neji, and from those past experiences, he knew his friend's forehead was most likely tender due to the nerves that were strangled during the activation. He also knew if Neji didn't want to talk about it to leave it alone. "I'm doing alright. Worn out from training for the Chuunin Exams though. How about you? I bet Gai and Lee both are excited." he rolled his eyes, imaging the two overenthusiastic taijutsu users doing all sorts of annoying shit.

Neji nodded slightly with a sigh "Unfortunately. Though, I can't say I'm too against most of it. Us rookie genin will be the underdogs, even you and me." he pointed out with a thin smile. As Sasuke's food arrived, Neji didn't hesitate to pick up one of the skewers to eat himself. After all, the two shared food all the time. Neji asked "You think we're ready, for the exams?" a slight smirk appearing over his face as he hummed thoughtfully "I can't wait to one-up the main house family. See how well their little curse mark works then. Unless they want to interfere publicly, I'll get a full fight in against her. I won't hold back either. She needs to be stronger if she'll lead one day."

Giving a hesitant nod, Sasuke glanced away. He didn't enjoy hearing such hatred in his friend's voice but knew it was well justified. After all, what kind of uncle practically enslaves his own nephew. Under any circumstance, Sasuke did not understand. "I think we'll do fine." he looked over to the clock and sighed lightly. "Well, I had better be off to work. Don't want to be late and have to sit through a thirty-minute lecture on responsibility." he rolled his eyes. Neji nodded in understanding, waving him off.

Sasuke had ended up telling Neji about it one day when Neji had asked if he wanted to hang out for a bit and train, luckily the brunette understanding. Sasuke headed over towards the shop, clocking in and getting to work fairly quickly. Lately, he found himself more and more eager to return home since he knew there was someone who would be glad to see him. However, today he wasn't in the mood to return home at all.

He shook his head lightly. He focused on Ibiki's words. He just needed to move past this even if it hurt. For his own good as well as for the good of the village and his fellow shinobi. Sasuke worked on shining the weapons, quietly doing his work. He didn't share a single word with his co-worker, the man tiptoeing around him like everyone who knew what week it was. He sighed internally. If only people would quit acting like he would snap their necks at a single misstep, maybe it would be easier to forget.

Work did come to an end soon enough, and when it did Sasuke was the first one out the door. He headed home, knowing he should give Madara and Hashirama some warning before Kakashi came into the house to practically interrogate them both. Sasuke noted, they had both been going through a lot of this lately. If it were him, he would definitely be annoyed as hell at the moment.

He entered the house, nodding to Madara who sat on the couch, as usual, reading his book. Hashirama saw him enter and came in from the training room where he had been practicing. "Welcome home, Sasuke." he offered a slight smile. Sasuke nodded slightly, rubbing a hand over his head. Spirits, he hated the Jonin reporting law. They could postpone it for a week or so but no, it had to be today.

Sasuke motioned for both of their attention as he sat on the couch. "So, Kakashi finally confronted me about having more than two training sessions a day. And to put an extremely long story short, I told him about Itachi and Kisame since it would need to get out there to clear their name anyway. Then I had to confirm the rumors about you two. So he's coming over in a few to meet you guys and get Itachi's side of the story. Because he has to report it legally to the Hokage office if he finds something big. He also wants to spread the word to other Jonin if it is true. Since their word will hold over better than a genin." he explained.

Madara nodded slightly, sighing a bit. He was dealing with the grief of his clan too, though handling it much better than the two younger teens. But then, he had many more years of coping on his shoulders to work with. Overall, he was drained but kept on since he knew this would help the village in the long run. Hashirama also was easily in agreeance, knowing it would help reform the village. After all, finding out a Hokage was mistreating his village was like a punch to the gut after all he had worked for with Madara.

Sasuke ended up making some tea, Madara and Hashirama sitting at the end table so when Kakashi came they would know. Sasuke sat the tea down, sitting beside where Kakashi's spot would be. Within ten minutes, the doorbell rang out. Kakashi stepped in, but not before receiving a light scolding about forgetting to take his shoes off from Sasuke. The Jonin sighed lightly and removed his shoes so he wouldn't drag in mud, Sasuke leading him towards the table.

As he sat down, Sasuke made a point of taking his Icha Icha Paradise book. Kakashi sighed but gave it up, the younger one moving to put it on a nearby shelf while muttering "Keep your perverted books put away while you're in my house." much to the amusement of the three adults. Sasuke really was too mature for his teenage body.

Sasuke soon joined them, sitting close to Kakashi. They all took their cups before finally, Hashirama smiled over to the younger man. "You must be Sasuke's sensei. I'm Hashirama Senju and this is Madara Uchiha. It's nice to meet you." he greeted. He introduced them, even though he doubted they needed an introduction. He figured it would be best to anyway, for politeness sake.

Kakashi nodded a bit and moved to shake the hands of the two older ninjas "Nice to meet you both as well. Yes, I am Sasuke's sensei. Hatake Kakashi." he introduced himself as well. He needed to figure out how to test if these men really were the legendary ninja they claimed to be as if it was a lie they could easily be infiltrated the Hokage's office and do terrible damage.

The oldest of the Uchiha sighed lightly as a silence overcame them, taking charge of the conversation. "Alright, we all know why we're here and it isn't to share tea and talk about the weather. Kakashi, you want to be sure we're the real deal. Hashirama and I need to confirm this so you'll report this and spread the world. We can work on this first then we will explain our reasons for return as will Itachi when he gets home."

Receiving a firm nod from the Jonin, they stood. Hashirama suggested "I'll use my wood-style release, to prove it. I realize based on my younger brother's experiments it would most likely be possible to give other ninjas this power but assuming other ninjas use it you'll be able to tell I'm the first Hokage based on attack chakra matching my base chakra. Then if no one else has it, well you have your answer." he smiled.

Madara added "Then I can show the Sharingan of course. From what I gather there are only three or so people running around with our Kekki Genkai anymore." he noted. Kakashi nodded and could easily tell he was prodding at the fact he had a Sharingan. He didn't sense any hostility, however, which he was silently grateful for. After all, he could remember the hell the Uchiha clan gave him at the time.

As they got outside, Hashirama stood near the middle of the yard, quickly forming hand seals, "Wood Style: Wood-Dragon Jutsu." he announced as a large beast was crafted quickly in front of them. Sasuke watched with interest, Hashirama never using such deadly techniques against him in their training for obvious reasons. Kakashi watched too, however, he was watching to test how intact and similar the chakra was to the brunette's body. Once satisfied, he nodded and Hashirama let go of his wood release.

Madara glanced over to Kakashi, his eyes activating. Kakashi slowly lifted his headband to look at the other's eyes, needing to see if they were true Sharingan. He forced his eyelid up to look at the other's, and after a moment he was satisfied. He closed his eye, nodding before going to recover it. Halfway up though, he felt a hand grab his wrist. He looked at Madara with his typically unimpressed look, though he wasn't sure why he wasn't allowing him to cover his eye. "What?" came his irritated reply.

The older Uchiha let go of his wrist after a moment. "Let's see what a non-Uchiha can do with this eye, shall we?" he suggested, though everyone there knew it was not a request. The younger Jonin nodded slightly, and Hashirama wasn't sure this was such a good idea. He watched as the two went to separate sides of the training field, Hashirama quickly using his wood style to circle the field in case one of them got out of hand. This way, he could break them up if necessary.

Sasuke, on the other hand, was silently beyond excited. The sensei he idolized most and the ancestor he had been raised to be in awe of, fighting it out. They began, Kakashi running towards Madara with his head lowered to avoid eye contact. The older male quickly moved out of the way of Kakashi's shuriken, the two battling it out using taijutsu at first. Kakashi was quickly backed into a corner, busy focusing on keeping his eyes to the ground.

He only escaped by using a teleportation jutsu, moving behind Madara. The ravenette quickly turned around, making eye contact. Kakashi froze, suddenly going into a cold sweat as his pupils dilated. For a split second, there was silence before a scream erupted from Kakashi's lips and he fell to the ground, defeated. Hashirama furrowed his brows, Sasuke grimacing at the unfamiliar scream from his sensei. "I presume this is the Tsukuyomi, similar to the one Itachi placed on me not too long ago." Hashirama shook his head and lifted a hand signaling the battle was over.

Madara watched, looking down at the younger ninja he had just defeated. While they were in his Tsukuyomi, he had sent many forceful blows in rapid-fire, not bothering to restrain the other. It was about the opposite of how Itachi used his own. He had done this after only a brief fight between Sharingan for power, Kakashi's single one not really having a fair chance against Madara's two completely developed. Overall though, Madara would say he put up a good fight.

After an agonizing moment of trying to force his body to move, Kakashi was finally able to stand up. He was well informed on the many uses of the Sharingan with his old partners, Obito as genin and Itachi as ANBU, but he had never found himself trapped in one before. Kakashi stood up, Hashirama and Sasuke heading over to them. Kakashi was pretty beat up, so Sasuke helped support the older ninja. Madara wasn't anywhere near as beat up, winded at most. Madara half wondered if Kakashi would be a sore loser, but was satisfied when this idea was proved wrong. "So this is the true power of the Sharingan." the silver-haired man smirked lightly.

They soon headed inside, Sasuke tending to his sensei's wounds while Hashirama cared for the few Madara had obtained. Hashirama and Madara couldn't help but smile at the silently baffled look Sasuke had. They knew Madara had just whipped the teacher he idolized and we're sure that was a real eye-opener for him. No one is invincible, not even Kakashi of the Sharingan.

Kakashi finally spoke once they were all healed up. "So, anyone care to tell me why the hell our village founders have been revived, and Itachi is apparently not guilty of mass murder." Madara let out a breath. This would be a long summery, but well worth it.


	20. Sensei

Kakashi sat at the dinner table with Hashirama and Madara, Sasuke cooking dinner. The silence in the room was broken as Itachi stepped in the house from the back door as usual, though looking more tired than he normally would. The older teen slides his jacket off, setting it on the counter. "I'm home.." he spoke on reflex, trailing off as he noticed Kakashi.

The silver-haired Jonin waved slightly in greeting, eyeing him lazily "Yo, long time no see kiddo." he smirked. Itachi felt a ping of familiarity as he looked away with a hesitant look. It had been years since he had seen Kakashi, and he had always felt guilty for leaving the man with no answers.

Itachi headed over to the table, sitting down in his usual spot since Kakashi didn't appear to have a threatening aura to him for now. He sat beside Kakashi, nodding in greeting. He smiled thinly "Hello, Kakashi-senpai."

Kakashi smiled to the boy, putting a hand on his head "You've grown quite a bit since you were my partner. Guess you aren't crawling into crawlspaces much anymore, eh?" he asked. It was odd to see Itachi so much taller and muscular after all these years of them being apart. He also noticed his stress marks on his face had increased.

Much to the surprise of Madara and Hashirama, Itachi allowed his hand to stay. It was odd to see Itachi so willing for physical contact after the fuss he made when they showed affection. This was a good sigh however, hopefully, this meant he was opening up. "Crawlspaces? Itachi, you don't talk much about your time in the ANBU. The only mission we've ever heard about is your clan elimination. We've already told Kakashi about that mission, so don't worry." Madara noted quietly.

They hadn't wanted Itachi to have to go through with telling him on the day of the event. Itachi nodded a bit as Sasuke brought the food over, the younger teen sitting on the other side of Kakashi. "I suppose I haven't. It's a habit not to speak about it since it's against the law," he noted.

Knowing he could say what was on his mind since everyone at the table he trusted, Itachi began eating with everyone else and speaking between bites. "Since I was eleven when I joined, it had some pretty big advantages for the village. I could go into small areas to hide and gather information, assassinate much easier due to being quieter with less to hide, my Sharingan helped a great deal when it came to certain missions, it was easier to play the victim card and lead the ANBU to the bases of criminal organizations, and my crows could spy. Things like that." the ravenette explained.

Madara nodded in understanding "A lot of that does sound like it would be of great use. Yes, I do imagine the Sharingan was a powerful asset. I'm sure the village made great use of it's Uchiha within the ANBU." though he wasn't sure why Itachi, as well as Sasuke and Kakashi, frowned at this comment. "What?" he asked.

Surprisingly, Sasuke was the one to speak. "The ANBU didn't have many other Uchiha. They only had Kakashi, Itachi, and a very few others." he explained, remembering the big deal their father had made of it. The man had celebrated for days, probably being more excited than Itachi himself.

Hashirama asked with confusion "Why would the Uchiha not want to be in the ANBU? They would do a great service to the village and I'm sure it would be appreciated." Itachi had to resist the urge to roll his eyes at that. It appeared Hashirama wasn't as aware of the Uchiha's standing before the genocide as he thought.

This time Itachi spoke, sturring his noodles idley as he did so. "The Uchiha are not normally permitted to be in the ANBU." seeing the puzzled look from Hashirama he explained "I'm one of the only ones to ever be allowed in. I don't think you understand fully how the ANBU works. It was created by the second Hokage after all."

He took a moment to compose his thoughts "You don't request entrance to the ANBU. The ANBU sees your skills and decides for you to join. There is no choice. If you get a scroll from Danzo saying you're in the ANBU, you're either in the ANBU or in prison for treason against the village. The Uchiha are not trusted to be in the organization. The second Hokage forbid it, leading his student the third to forbid it. The only reason I was allowed entry was because of the Fourth Hokage. He was a good man, he didn't pick up the hate for the Uchiha luckily. For the short time he was alive, he changed laws to give us more air."

Hashirama asked with a frown "My younger brother really took his personal feeling into this and took it out on the Uchiha after I was gone? I knew he had a dislike for them after everything but I never would have imagined he would be unfair in his position. What kind of mistreatment did the Uchiha face?" he asked.

Kakashi corrected "Are they facing. Current time. They face a lot of discrimination. They were moved to the edge of the village where it takes nearly fifteen minutes at full speed for help to arrive. They were put in charge of a police force, only so they had tabs on them. They are looked down upon my many unless they prove to have the skill and completely forsake the clan in exchange for the village. There were many unknown deaths of Uchiha and attacks on them that the village never looked into. No financial help, the clan would be poverty ridden if not for the large wealth of the clan without the village. The leader of the clan had to turn to do evil things just to gain justice for his clan. This darkness eventually overtook his entire being, but with all the second Hokage did it's no surprise."

Madara ran his fingers through his hair, unable to believe his clan had suffered so much throughout the years. He knew his hate towards Tobirama was not unjustified. Hashirama sighed lightly, "I'm sorry. I should have known better than to leave him in charge. I allowed my affection for my brother to blind me."

Sasuke nodded slightly, but knowing an apology didn't make up for all the lives lost and Uchiha harassed by the village. Itachi and Kakashi nodded too slightly, and Madara had to put his grief aside to fix the conversation. "You mentioned you played the victim card when in the ANBU, what does that mean?"

Itachi was grateful for the change of subjects, though feeling a bit awkward as he explained "Well, many criminals have a softer spot for children which leads back to the mental excuse they give themselves for committing a crime. Most motives are developed in childhoods so it's easy for some criminals to relate to children. So playing the victim card means, well, dressing as a child or pretending to seek their help. Their guards lower and they give information, become vulnerable, or even take me back to the base. All great information to have."

Itachi couldn't help the heat that rose to his cheeks as he heard light chuckling, glancing over as he heard Sasuke snicker. "Sasuke, be quiet for once in your life." he scoffed.

Kakashi smirked with Itachi and the older ninja sent inquisitive looks so they explained what was so humorous. "Don't glare, Sasuke. You know it holds some truth to it." he shook his head back and forth. "I remember when Sasuke was just a little toddler. Itachi said I could meet him in case anything ever happened to him on a mission, so I head over to the Uchiha house. I walked into Itachi reading to Sasuke, the little one sitting curled up on Itachi's lap. I walk over, kneel down and wave hello. The next thing I know I'm having a book thrown at my face, the kid's wailing and Itachi is trying to calm him down. I've heard prison escape alerts, fire alarms, emergency sirens, and much more. But to this day I have never heard anything as ear bursting as the kid's tantrum."

Sasuke flustered at that, glaring heavily. "Oh shut up, it isn't like I could have realized the freaky guy with the mask wasn't out to kill me. I was like four, when will you people let that go," he spoke with frustration as the others chuckled.

His sensei raised a brow "Oh, I suppose you were also unaware when you were six. In the middle of an enemy attack, houses burning and people fleeing, your first reaction to help was to toss yourself on the floor and say you won't leave home without your blanket because it was too cold."

Sasuke let out a frustrated noise, standing to storm off when Kakashi reached out to pull him back down so he was stuck in a one-sided hug. Itachi reached over to ruffle his hair, the teen giving an annoyed look. "Now, don't add a tantrum at fourteen to the list kiddo."

"Hn." the teen muttered leaning into the embrace and hand of his older brother, letting it go. Hashirama smiled thinly. It was clear to both he and Madara just how much these three meant to each other.

Kakashi shook his head at his student, who then moved to clean up the dishes from dinner. Kakashi finally turned to Hashirama, more serious than before. "Now then, I need to ask before I head home to write my report or before I spread the information to the other Jonin. Do you all have a plan? And I don't mean 'fix the Hokage situation'. I mean details. Who will you be appointing as Hokage, how will you go about the current Hokage's removal? Will he be demoted to Jonin or released from the ninja program altogether? Are you going to remove Danzo from power? Will you be repaying the smaller villages destroyed? Will Orochimaru be dealt with? All this and more will need to be addressed."

Hashirama looked startled at the questions, taking a breath and shaking his head back and forth "I know. It's foolish to not sit down and have a serious conversation. But you must understand we can't just storm in and change everything. Many would be displeased." he explained.

"Yes, well, it doesn't change the fact it must be taken care of eventually. If you are unwilling to take things over completely you need to at least be ready to offer solutions to the current situation. How about this. The Hokage is not cruel, merely misguided and lacking a certain amount of empathy. Why don't you two write up the issues with the village and possible solutions in a letter to the Hokage? I can send it in with my report." the Jonin suggested.

Madara nodded slightly in agreement "I believe this is the best course of action. I also believe now that more people know of us and there are more who believe it is us, we should go out into the village. Before we stayed in at risk of us being attacked and causing chaos but now is the time to start bringing ourselves into the village. Itachi has been taking up more missions and Sasuke has been working overtime to keep the bills paid. It's unfair to leave that on them now that we can do something to ease their workload. We'll go out tomorrow to look for work and explore the village."

A slight tilt of his head told the older ninja that Kakashi agreed. "Yes, I've been signing us up for more missions lately too at Sasuke and Naruto's request. It really is unfair for the village to set these children off on their own besides a check every month which barely covers housing let alone food. Naruto does have a pretty good stash saved up though. I'm sure it's only because of his constant ramen consumption though. Sasuke seems to spend more on keeping his food healthy. Honestly, sometimes it's hard to remember he's fourteen when we're out."

Sasuke spoke from the sink, a bit annoyed they spoke of him as though he weren't in the same room. "It's hard to remember you're an adult when we're out. You definitely don't act like one." he pointed out, the teen not impressed at all by his lack of concern for much of anything.

His sensei rolled his eyes lightly "Don't be so uptight, kid." he smirked at the annoyed look Sasuke gave him. If there was one thing Kakashi knew, it was the teen hated being referred to as a child even if he was one. Itachi ended up giving the three older males each a piece of paper and then sighed. Reports to the Hokage. Always a fun time.


	21. Entering the Village

The next morning everyone woke as per usual, ready to start their day. Sasuke and Itachi got ready as usual, the teens doing their best to get back into the swing of things. Kakashi's arrival the night prior had definatly helped distract them. 

Sasuke headed out of his room to see Itachi had stuck around today, much to his relief. He sat down at the table, his brother just finishing breakfast. Itachi smiled half-heartedly at his brother in greeting, placing his egg in front of him. "Did you sleep well, little brother?" he asked.

The teen gave his brother a slight smile in return "As well as could be expected." he commented. Itachi moved to poke his younger brother's forehead, able to read the guilt over Sasuke's face. He could tell the younger Uchiha had a sense of guilt for blaming him but Itachi wanted none of this.

"Don't worry about it today. You don't have any work today and all your sensei are giving you the rest of the week off before the exam to breath and plan using your recent learnings. Take the chance to prepare for the exams by yourself. You need your training wounds completely healed as well as to be ready mentally and emotionally." lightly patting his shoulder as the teen glared at him, covering his forehead.

Sasuke returned to his food as Madara and Hashirama came down "You don't have to jab so hard you know. And cut your nails, those claws hurt." he scolded in frustration as they all sat down to eat the breakfast Itachi had made.

Madara shook his head back and forth at Sasuke's one-sided bickering, amused. He sat down to eat, wearing his normal attire alongside Hashirama. They wore the clothes they had been resurrected in, which had been cleaned recently. Madara wore his normal high reaching dark purple shirt, which was made in the traditional Uchiha fashion much like Sasuke's. He wore plain black pants with them which were strong but easy to move with. Hashirama wore his average pale green kimono with a tan coat. Both wore their Konoha headbands for once, the teens noticed.

Hashirama glanced over at Sasuke as they ate "Madara and I have decided we should start trying to enter ourselves into the village as we said yesterday. Sasuke, since you don't have training or work would you mind showing us around the village today? We would like to see how it's grown since we've been gone." he requested.

The teen nodded "Alright, sure. It's gotten a lot larger in the last fourteen or so years. After the nine tails attacked the village they expanded and upgraded a lot." he explained "Though, talking about the nine tails probably isn't the best idea. The village is still really sore about it."

Madara nodded in understanding "I can see why. From what you and Itachi have told us, a great deal was lost on the day of the attack. Everything from the fourth Hokage to the village gates." he shook his head back and forth as breakfast ended.

Itachi swiftly did the dishes, saying his goodbyes, and heading out for the Akatsuki. Sasuke headed to the front door, sliding his shoes on with Hashirama and Madara. It was odd to have someone walk with him into town, but he figured he would get used to it if they would be heading to the village more often.

As they entered, Madara and Hashirama quickly noticed a big difference. It was much noisier than they remembered, there were less open vendors and more closed in shops, as well as the building seemed to of doubled in size. Sasuke pointed up over all this however, towards the Hokage's monument "The Hokage monument has more people on it now. There's also some steps to lead up to it and an area for tourists to take a picture in front of it."

Madara blinked "My life's work. Turned into a tourist attraction. And I'm not even on it." he huffed in annoyance. Sasuke glanced at him and motioned over towards the main entrance to the village in hopes of fixing his now poor mood.

"You aren't up there but you have your own spot with Hashirama at the main entrance of the village. You're standing on one side of the entrance with Hashirama on the other. They have one on each entryway. One with the Hokage and one with their biggest rival or best friend of the time." he explained.

The older Uchiha nodded slightly as they continued walking, getting a few looks from the villagers. A few were of recognition for the first Hokage, while others were of ridicule for the two Uchiha. Hashirama noticed this, frowning deeply at the judgment the two Uchiha took.

Sasuke and Madara paid it no mind however, Sasuke used to it and Madara not willing to give them the satisfaction of making him angered. Sasuke walked past the housing district and stopped in front of a flower shop "This is the new flower shop, it was just opened a few years ago." getting ready to move on when Hashirama stopped him.

The brunette smiled "Come on Sasuke, lets head inside. These shops weren't here when we were so we want to see them. Besides, my granddaughter used to love flowers. I do want to see her again sometime when everything else is sorted out. I'll want to be familiar with the shop and it's owners so I can be ready to go when the time comes."

Resisting a groan, the ravenette nodded. He headed in, and quickly Madara realized why the younger one hadn't wanted to enter. The girl at the front was the same girl who had been trying to head into the Uchiha compound the other day. Ino saw Sasuke and her smile widened, the girl leaning against the counter in an attempt to look alluring. "Sasu-kun. Welcome to the flower shop. Can I get you anything?" Sasuke nearly gagged.

Hashirama nearly doubled over, just able to resist his laughter. "What's so funny?" the genin demanded furiously. Madara raised a brow at the girl, and just as Sasuke was about to assure her it was nothing a man headed downstairs from the apartment overtop where they lived. The man wore a Jonin jacket, and upon seeing the others he turned to frown at his daughter.

"Be kind to the customers, Ino," he warned before making his way over towards the group. He gave a deep bow in apologies much to the older two's surprise. "I apologize for her lashing out towards one of you. If you need anything ask her, and she'll add a half discount to the purchase," he commented, before heading out.

Madara looked pleased "Well, at least some of today's ninja seem to still have respect for each other." he commented as Hashirama moved to look around. They checked the place out for a few moments, Ino settling for watching Sasuke move with a dazed look.

Finally, Hashirama smiled and picked up a few flowers. He glanced over at the two Uchiha "They're half off, we should get some. It'll look nice at the house, there is that vase in the kitchen that's always empty. It'll look nice." he explained.

Sasuke sighed in annoyance, pulling out his wallet. He quickly paid for it, ignoring Ino's many comments and flirty remarks. "Yeah, yeah, why does a discount matter to you. It isn't you who's paying," he remarked. Hashirama chuckled, patting his back as they headed out.

"Oh don't be so dramatic. I'll pay you back in no time. As soon as I and Madara are back in business." he assured the teen. Sasuke rolled his eyes, moving onto the next store and explaining what it was. This continued on for a while, the head turns he got from the girls and guys alike didn't go unnoticed to the older men.

Soon enough they landed in the weapons shop, and Sasuke motioned towards it "This is where I work. It's the local weapons shop, but there's also shields and other battle necessary." the two men nodding as they headed in. Sasuke was greeted by a wave from the one at the counter, a skinny male with dark eyes and hair.

The man greeted "Hey Sasuke, what's up man? I thought you got today off? Just coming by to visit I'm guessing." a smile playing over his lips. He then turned to the other two "Welcome to Sword and Sheild. I haven't seen you two before, I never forget a face. Since this is your first purchase if you buy anything it'll be 30% off." he noted.

Hashirama turned to Sasuke, but before he could even get the words out Sasuke cut him off. "No. We need the rest for lunch." much to Hashirama's displeasure but understanding. "You'll be able to come back another time, with your own cash. You're supposed to be looking after me, not the other way around," he smirked lightly.

Just as Hashirama moved to rub the back of his head sheepishly, an elderly man came out the back. Though with muscles like he had, it was had to tell how old he really was if not for the beard. Meiyo wrapped a muscled arm around Sasuke, the man grinning "Sasuke, my boy, it's nice to see you in the shop so soon. I was worried you would be at home all day. I'm glad to see you out and about." he spoke proudly, patting the teen's shoulder rougher than intended.

Madara looked over as the teen tried to sheepishly escape, finding it odd to watch Sasuke interact with people outside their small family. It was nice, to see he had a few friends outside the house. They didn't see much of Shikamaru or Neji anymore, but from what they heard Sasuke still hung around with them during the day. Meiyo finally noticed the other two and smiled towards them "Hello, you two must be the pair living with Sasuke who everyone is making such a big thing about."

The older of the two questioned "They're making a big deal about it? I'm not sure why that is, we're only here to help the village in a time of trouble. Things haven't been going too well from what we hear."

Meiyo nodded slightly, still having an arm wrapped around Sasuke. "Yeah, the village has been doing great when it comes to finances and keeping the money flowing but a lot of the issues I'm hearing about now are making sense. Hard to believe the third would have so much dirt to hide. Then how oblivious we were to the things he was doing. I hear the entire village council is refusing to comment for now." he noted with a slight frown.

"Yes, well, these are things that need to be addressed. A corrupt village is not what we spent years of our life building and protecting. We need to fix this as soon as possible. We don't want anyone else suffering through this." Madara explained.

The older male nodded "I'm glad to hear you're both looking to help. The village is having a hard time accepting Lord First's return, some of them are even scared now. With the return of one of the base Uchiha by your side, well many are saying they're nervous, to say the least. The villagers apparently went ghost white hearing of your return. Probably due to the amount of mistreatment the Uchiha received while they were alive and then this new truth about the Uchiha prodigy. Everyone's scared, they've only heard rumors and whispers. I wouldn't keep them in the dark too long or they might decide to repel both of you." he noted.

Sasuke nodded and looked up at his older co-worker "They did it last night. They finally sent direct word to the Hokage to try and get things sorted out." he explained. Meiyo nodded, glad to hear it. Soon enough, there was a knock at the door and the older man had to return to his station.

The group then headed out, and Sasuke explained "That's all the town shops and districts, I'll show you the compounds now. There are a lot of new clans living here now." he noted, since they had already skimmed over the political area of the village and that was all there was really left to see. He stopped in front of the Nara compound, motioning to the gates. "This is where Shikamaru lives. His father is the head of the Nara clan," he noted.

He then went on the show the Yamanaka compound, noting "This is this Yamanaka compound, Ino's father is the leader of the clan. It's pretty small though." he commented before moving on to the next. "This is the Inuzuka compound. Kiba's mother leads the canine investigation area for the village. Since the clan is all about dogs, they use it to their advantage."

Soon enough he found himself going through all the others until he found himself in front of the Hyuuga compound "Then this is where Neji lives. His uncle is the leader of the clan." he explained. Then, out of nowhere, a scream came. Sasuke's face quickly warped into one of pain himself, the scream echoing through the compound. He turned, ready to leave.

Hashirama grabbed Sasuke's arm, asking with confusion and urgency "Where are you going? Someone needs help on the inside. You can't just run away." he frowned in disappointment, Madara's expression matching Hashiramas.

The teen glanced away, ripping his arm out of the older ninja's grip and looking away from their fixed gazes. "There is nothing to be done." recognizing the scream, "Neji just got his curse seal activated by one of the head family members, that's all." he swallowed the lump in his throat.

Madara frowned at his younger clan member in disappointment, "That's all? That's all? Sasuke what kind of punishment causes you to screech in agony for minutes on end? We need to stop it right now. He sounds like he's dying in there!" he demanded.

Sasuke turned to glare at them both, face eerily calm. "You think I don't want to help him? I do, but there is no way to help him. It's clan law and I'm not in their clan so I can't interfere without making things worse for him. Don't go in there, it will only make whatever sicko who decided to active his seal keep him under longer." he explained, knowing a majority of the main house was quite cruel when it came to the seal.

"The best thing we can do is wait it out. It's happened before, he'll be able to handle it I'm sure. It would be foolish to rush in where we can't do any good." Sasuke continued, leaning against the outer wall of the Hyuuga compound "He'll be free soon enough, and then we can come in. I go in all the time. The Hyuuga and the Uchiha have had mutual respect for each other since the Hyuuga joined the village, just after you two's time I believe. Me being the son of the clan head, I used to have to go in all the time to visit Hinata while my father spoke politics with their leader. No one will even blink at me being there as long as I'm not interrupting their clan laws."

Hashirama and Madara didn't seem happy but waited as they understood the teen's reasoning. It was hard to imagine those screams came from the stoic and respective boy they had seen over at the house. Soon enough silence came over the compound, and Sasuke pushed himself off the wall to head inside. As they entered, they quickly spotted the Hyuuga. It was no wonder he could be heard so easily, the teen was along the main road towards the head house.

He sat in the dirt, slumped over with his hand holding his head. He was curled into himself, an involuntary response to huge amounts of pain. In front of him was a man looking to be twenty-five at the oldest, looking down at the teen grimly. "You would do well to remember your place, Neji. Being the nephew of the leader does not put you above the rest of us nor on the same level as the main household. This is a lesson your father should have taught you long ago rather than allowing you to indulge in such fantasies." he turned to walk away from the teen. "Now pick yourself up and get out of my sight. You will learn to respect the main household. Even if it kills you." he warned.

Sasuke and the older ninja stayed back for a moment, noticing the lack of pity or concern on the other clan members' faces. Once things seemed to return to normal and Neji found his footing, they headed over. Sasuke had never seen Neji directly after activation, but what he saw now made him want to kill every Hyuuga in sight besides him. Sasuke headed over, receiving a few half bows from the members. After all, technically with his other clan members, all dead or exiled, Sasuke was the clan leader. Not that it had much impact since he was the only member, but it was common politeness anyway.

He ignored the members, moving to lightly touch Neji's shoulder. The teen made a muffled noise of pain, glancing behind him to see the two Uchiha and single Senju. Neji quickly straightened up as best he could, though it was difficult due to the amount of time his seal had been activated. Sasuke wasn't sure what to do but noticed Hashirama moving to help the other stand on his left. So Sasuke moved to his right, helping him support himself on that half. No words were spoken on the way back towards the Uchiha compound besides Neji's quiet "Thank you."

Hashirama and Madara quickly knew there was no way they could in good conscience allow this to continue. The poor boy looked like he had just been in a private session with the devil himself. Clan rules be damned, this wouldn't continue.


	22. Goals

Sasuke sighed as he sat on the couch beside Neji, Madara just on the other side of him. Neji was spread along across the couch, hands resting on his stomach. Madara sat by his feet while Sasuke was by his head applying a damp cloth. Neji had closed his eyes after some time, enjoying the damp cloth running over his forehead. Hashirama soon came in, helping the younger brunette sit up.

Hashirama sat down beside the boy, between Madara and him. He smiled thinly and lifted a hand "You're in pain. Let me help you. It's your forehead, right?" he asked. Seeing a slight nod he looked at the teen before explaining "I need you to tell me how and when the seal works so I know what to heal. Is it your chakra or the body?" he questioned.

Neji explained slowly, trying to get his head together. "It's the chakra nerves. What it does is it uses the main family's chakra to strangle the chakra nerves in the forehead, near the brain. It forces all the chakra to push towards the eyes, causing the Byakugan to activate on its own. It pumps all the chakra in the head to the eyes so it overtaxes the eyes. Then eventually as time goes on the chakra overloads the eyes, destroying them. The brain, cut off from the chakra it's used to having, tries to pump the brain more. This obviously fails because of the main household's chakra repressing it. Finally, it's let go and all the chakra and blood goes shooting for the brain at once, pressing it so much it turns to literal mush."

Hashirama looked like he would be sick, though Neji spoke of it calmly. "That's how the Hyuuga clan keeps its eyes away from others after death. The eyes activate as the user dies, the main household's chakra recognizing the lack of brain function and using the last of the person's chakra to destroy the eyes. That's why no one has stolen our family's kekki genkai as far as we know. I suppose the main branch family could get their's stolen, but with the branch protecting them, it really isn't likely." he noted.

Madara frowned, thinking of all the Sharingan that had been stolen over the years. Though, he knew he would never resort to branding his own clan's men. "Then it can also be activated for short amounts of time, I believe the longest anyone has lasted before death was five minutes, but that was one of the members who got their seals activated quite a bit. This is to keep the branch house obedient. Most Hyuuga lasts around three minutes before death takes them. Two if they're under the age of fifteen, but it also depends on the person's will."

Sasuke looked away slightly, remembering the first time Neji had told him this. Then knowing what was coming next. "Those are how it can be activated manually and of reflex. It can also be activated subconsciously if a member has too strong of hate towards a member of the main family to the point the seal things the person is going to kill. This is to keep the branch family from revolting against the main household." he seemed drunk with pain, babbling numbly. Logically, he would know Hashirama didn't need to know this. But with his brain so recently fried, it mattered little to the slurring boy.

"The branch family is pretty small. It was just my father and a few others because the other members, but all died protecting the main family or being punished for hatred. Now they're all gone." he laughed in his delusion, thinking of how he would soon join them. "Now that he's gone I'm the only one left. People stopped having more than one child because they don't want them to make the family look bad by containing a branch member. Soon it'll be gone."

Hashirama closed his eyes, chest hurting from hearing this. Looking at the green marking on Neji's head made him feel sick. He could tell by the short break between words that Neji had one hell of a headache, but that was to be expected. He gently raised his arms to put a hand over Neji's forehead, the teen twitching and burning up. Sasuke was on Neji's other side, so he moved a hand to the other's in hopes of comforting him silently.

Hashirama sends a light healing stream from his hands, which worked to gently soothe the chakra veins. "That's monstrous. I understand protecting the eyes, but if they insist they should do it to either everyone or no one." he frowned.

Neji leaned into Hashirama's hand, taking hold of Sasuke's as well as his eyes slowly closed in bliss. "Soon." he muttered "As soon as grandfather and the other elders die, uncle said he would see about removing it from future generations. I doubt they have many more years left in them, and the only reason it lives on is for tradition, from what I hear."

Sasuke smiled thinly at this, chuckling. The Hyuuga elders were all going on about eighty now, extremely old for even ninja out of active duty. Hashirama asked with a raised brow "Future? I would say you need to have it taken off current holders as well. People shouldn't be able to kill you on a whim. I thought you were a prodigy, wouldn't that incline your clan to leave you be?"

Neji physically grimaced at that, Hashirama moving to begin healing the eyes themselves which he found had a great deal of pressure on them. "You would think so. My uncle only does it when I take it too far in training against Hinata, but being a prodigy only makes the rest of the main house more ready to activate the seal. They don't like the fact I learned a lot of the main family's secret techniques and that I get more praise from the village than heiresses. That's actually why I got the seal activated today. Apparently, they don't appreciate me participating in the chuunin exams with Hinata." he explained.

Sasuke frowned with a sigh, "I suppose that means your plan to call attention to the seal isn't going to happen then?" sounding half disappointed and half relieved. Hashirama finally finished healing him, and Neji nodded in thanks to the older man.

The older of the two genins scoffed lightly and glanced at Sasuke. "If they think activating my seal is going to stop me from participating, they're crazy. If anything, it makes me want to do it more. I'm not putting a break on the plan even if it kills me." Neji looked away slightly as he noticed the slight hurt that came over Sasuke's face.

Madara raised a brow at the two, mentioning "So you two are aware, Hashirama and I have no idea what plan you're talking about. We wouldn't mind being enlightened either." he commented with a light look of curiosity.

Neji glanced at Sasuke, and Sasuke shrugged as if saying it was up to him. Neji glanced at the two older ninjas before deciding it was only fair he tells them. "The chuunin exams have multiple rounds to pick out the strongest of the competition. No idea how many or what the first rounds are, but I know I'll be making it to the last round. In the last round, the entire village watches plus any other villages who come to watch their ninja. This year the exams are taking place in Konoha. So there will be thousands of people watching from all seven nations."

Hashirama raised a brow, unsure where he was going with this. "During the last round, the strongest ninja fight while the smaller village leaders and powerful businessmen watch to see who they want to have on their roster to call when missions need to be done. Now during these exams, ninja tend to go overboard and never once has there been a time where at least three ninjas didn't spill their guts to their opponent while worked up from the battle. You know, the typical 'I want revenge for my friend', 'I'll become Hokage', 'It's my dream', and so on. So it won't be too out of the ordinary when I find a gateway in a battle to tell my opponent a little too loud about the seal."

Neji smirked lightly and reached up to touch his bare forehead. "If enough people hear about it, they'll get curious. If they get curious, they'll want answers. They'll get answers, then it is likely a large portion of the population won't like it since they aren't psychotic like my clan is. It's doubtful, but if the village keeps getting complaints maybe they'll work to get it removed despite it being a clan law."

He never would have put this sort of plan into action, but in the recent weeks, nothing seemed set in stone anymore. Village legends returning from the dead, Finding out ancestors really did seem to watch over their clan, Sasuke and Shikamaru hanging out with him more so less time to be alone in the compound, less time in the compound leading to fewer activations, and so on. Right now, he felt as though he really could break the restrictions of his clan and do his father proud.

Hashirama nodded slightly but looked unsure. "Won't that be unsafe? What if they kill you for speaking up against the seal?" he noted since they had nearly killed him just for participating in the exams.

Neji glanced away, nodding slightly. "I suppose it will be. If they do, though, the viewers will most likely make an even bigger deal of it. Hearing I died would only help the cause, I think."

Sasuke added "Not to mention he's a very valuable asset to the village in terms of power so if he was killed there would be a lot of unhappy officials. Not to mention Gai would throw a fit." he smirked at Neji, who rolled his eyes in annoyance.

Sasuke leaned on Neji with an even wider smirk "Don't worry, I'll make sure he doesn't ramble on too long about your 'tragically lost youngth'." he promised. Neji felt a vein pop to his forehead as he looked at his most recent best friend.

"Will you stop talking about me like I'm already dead? And if I do die you better make sure Gai and his little mini-me are far away from my funeral when it happens." he crossed his arms, though he knew he would never deny his sensei and teammate the right to mourn.

Sasuke and Nei continued on like this for a while, the older two smiling almost sadly at their morbid sense of humor. Hopefully, these things they spoke of would never have to come true and the plan would succeed. If nothing else, they had to admire the boy's bravery in taking the heat to protect any children born before the elders died.


	23. Future

Neji had ended up staying the night, Hashirama and Madara not wanting to send him back to the compound quicker than they had to and Sasuke having no problem with his friend staying over. They could at least offer him shelter for the next few days until the exam, even if he was hesitant to agree. "I appreciate the offer, but I'll be alright."

"Alright? Neji, I realize you're a very strong and brave young man but you are still only a fifteen-year-old boy. You shouldn't put your life at risk so carelessly. The other Hyuuga could seriously hurt you between now and the time of the exams. You don't have any reason to return to them. Why are you so insistent on returning so quickly?" Madara prompted.

Shaking his head lightly, Neji focused his silver eyes elsewhere besides the older Uchiha who stood by the door trying to convince him to stay. Hashirama was behind Madara, backing him up with one of his rare serious expressions. "Sasuke has a lot to deal with this week with it being the anniversary plus the chuunin exams. He doesn't need me being dead weight along with it."

Frowning a bit at this, Hashirama moved in front of Madara to put a hand on the young teen's shoulder. "Neji, you aren't dead weight to Sasuke. He is busy with the exams and working past his own issues when it comes to what happened, but he's also very fond of you. He's much more relaxed when you're around. I can tell, you've grown to be a precious friend to him. You two would be good for each other, I believe."

Neji's cheek tinted a bit at the idea of being considered a friend to Sasuke let alone a precious one. He smiled a bit, not used to being considered as little more than a tool. Sure, his team was full of good people who seemed to value him, but he also felt deep down they had only grown close as they were all ninja and they could use his skill. Ninja, tools for the village, created to serve a single purpose in their lives. To obey and be used at the villages whim. That was the destiny of a ninja. But to be valued by someone not on his team, not in his clan, and not in his family. To be valued for who he was as a person rather than a ninja. There were only two people who he felt this sort of bond with. Shikamaru and Sasuke.

"Alright then. If you think Sasuke won't mind." he finally agreed, feeling a slight wave of relief at the idea of being able to avoid his clan for a few more days. Madara seemed just as relieved as Hashirama, the older ninja not wanting to send him off to what they imaged as hell for a few more days.

Chuckling lightly, Hashirama shook his head. "I doubt he'll care. It isn't like the rest of the compound is being used anyway. I'm sure we can either set you up with a house somewhere close or you can even stay here if you'd like. We don't have that many beds but Sasuke usually ends up knocking himself out on the couch watching television anyway."

Sasuke called from the kitchen, slightly annoyed, "You all know the house's open layout makes it so I can hear everything you're saying, right?" he pointed out while sturring some rice. "And of course Neji can stay here as long as he wants. Though, most of the other houses aren't in working conditions. The plumbing, electricity and what not is completely out and the wiring in the houses are probably overdue for an upgrade too. Not to mention all the infestations they probably have." he sighed, guilt forming in his voice. "I really let this place go to hell over the years."

Madara shook his head back and forth "Sasuke, you couldn't possibly be blamed for that. You've been the only Uchiha in the compound for years. You can't be expected to keep up with over a hundred houses plus shops and public buildings. You've done well even keeping it so everything is still legally Uchiha property. Not to mention at least the front gate has still been tended to so it still looked decent." he tried to ease his younger clan member's guilt.

Slowly Sasuke nodded, knowing logically he couldn't be held accountable. After all, he barely squeezed by each month paying his own bills and buying his food and ninja material. Things had eased up since Itachi started pitching in, but he couldn't afford housing upgrades for empty houses. He agreed after a moment "Yeah. I guess you're right. I just really hope one day I can return them to their rightful glory. This compound used to be so full of life."

Neji smiled thinly. "One day, it will. Whether it be for any new Uchiha who are brought into the world or if it serves for a different purpose. One day it'll be just as energetic as you remember it. You just have to give the compound a little boost. Do you have any plans for what you want to do with this place?" he asked curiously.

Neji now was sat down at the table with Hashirama and Madara, invested in the chat as well. After all, they only had time to kill before Itachi got home. Sasuke got a bit nervous looking, scratching the back of his neck but keeping his back to them and focused on the oven. "Well, even though everything is technically in my name at the moment, it would still depend on what Itachi and Madara think. Since it's still their compound too in a way. Plus Hashirama since he's living here. I mean, if he still wants to after the village officially re-enters him as a citizen."

Hashima smirked at the teen slightly. "You think you can get rid of me by shoving me off to the village, kid? No such luck." he joked before turning more serious "Really though, what would you like to do with the compound if it was all up to you." he asked, now curious himself.

Sasuke looked unsure but slowly began explaining. "Well, I don't have a set in the stone plan yet, but I was looking at the village hidden in the rain not too long ago after I met Itachi's partner. It turned out the village is home to a lot of outlaws who don't have anywhere to go because of their reputation but have been proved to not be such bad people. Well, I was thinking about something similar but a bit different."

As he explained, Itachi entered in. Seeing his brother motion to continue, he did. "So it would be similar in the sense that it would be a sanctuary for people with nowhere to go, but different in the sense it would be fewer criminals and more people who have been forced to leave or flee for more unique reasons. Like for example, Haku. He nearly got murdered by his village for having a kekki genkai. He couldn't control that. If he had somewhere to go before Zabuza found him he might still be alive. Or Hinata for example. She's fine now, but imagine if she does get disowned and had nowhere to go as her father has warned her. She could easily die out there. There are hundreds of ninja being rejected for reasons they can't control whether it be because of a gene they inherited or because their clan dislikes their personality." he shook his head back and forth lightly.

"Imagine how much good it could do to simply give them somewhere to go so they wouldn't become lost. Even in terms of power, it would be good. Haku's ice release, for example, is rare. It should never have been treated as a curse, it should have been honored. That was a strong kekki genkai that may never see the light again. Had he been taken care of it could have been a new burst of power for the village if he passed it on to his children. Not to mention the people being banished from their homes for being too weak. If they're compassionate, I would say that's a great thing. They enter the compound and they'll be likely to do good a spread positive thoughts rather than harsh ones. Mix the compassion and strong kekki genkai or even strong ninja in general than that could lead to strong ninja with open minds."

Neji pointed out as they all finally sat down for dinner "It would be hard for people who come from nothing to pay rent though since most would be either young or unable to secure a job because of their differences from others. As was just said, you can't care for every house in the village. Plus you'd have to add in food expenses, the cost of the forms to enter someone into the village, and so on."

Sasuke took a bit before pointing out. "Your four most basic needs are food, water, shelter, and clothing. Food is easy because of all the areas outback behind all the houses where gardens used to rest. The Uchiha have always been very self-sufficient. This might be hard for some people to adjust to but it's better than starving to death or being harassed daily by outside ninja without back up. Kohona is literally right next to a huge waterfall coming into a river. It'll be hard but we could do like they used to do before plumbing. We could even work on a detour for the water so it comes this way naturally into a hole where we could get it. Add in boiling the water and we'll be all set for fresh water."

The other's watched with raised brows as the teen continued, on a roll with how they could get things going. They hadn't really been too convinced at the idea first, but now it seemed as though he was actually excited about it. He had a determination in his eyes Neji hadn't seen since he spoke of killing his brother, and one Itachi hadn't seen since he wore he would make their father proud. It seemed as though the teen really was prepared to take this on as his new purpose whether he realized it or not.

"The shelter would be pretty easy because of all the houses already downtown. We would just need to do some repairs on them and remove any personal items from the houses. During winter we could just light fires or us blankets and in summer icepacks or fans. Then as far as clothing goes it shouldn't really be that hard. We can just use either clothes they already had or we can always use clothes from the compound. I know a lot of it will be destroyed or disgusting because of not being touched in years but some have to be salvageable. The clothes won't do any good rotting in some junkyard. Slowly the compound could progress to where we have people going into the village to sell any leftover food or if any of them have talents like sewing they could sell their products. Maybe some will even be a ninja. It wouldn't happen any time soon so we would just save the money required to buy the bulk packs of seeds and money for village entry." he explained, slowing down as he realized for the first time how all eyes were on him.

He visibly shrunk in his seat a bit, glancing away as he muttered "Or something like that. You know, just an idea." he quickly tried to lower his excitement levels so he didn't look like a fool for having such huge plans about something that would probably never happen.


	24. Peace Meeting

That night they had all went to bed fairly early, everyone is tired from such a long day. Neji ended up sleeping on the couch with Sasuke, the brunette not wanting to take his bed and the raventte not wanting his guest to sleep on the couch alone. Itachi hadn't said much of anything to Neji, though when they did rarely make eye contact he would give a light smile. He still wasn't used to being around anyone besides the Akatsuki, Hashirama, Madara, Sasuke, and occasionally the people of the village hidden in the rain. That, and he seemed to have something on his mind.

Sasuke woke up the next morning as usual to the smell of Itachi's food, Neji following soon after. Sasuke got up, stretching, and noted "You'll need clothes. The chuunin exams last a few weeks. If you want I can go with you to the Hyuuga compound to help you get your things and we can begin working on figuring out which house you'll want if you decide you do want to stay here." he suggested.

Neji nodded as they both headed into the dining room "Yeah, that would be great if you're feeling up to it. It'll get done faster and I doubt they'll activate my seal if you're there." after all, it would look bad on them. The two sat down as Itachi placed their plates in front of them, both saying their thanks.

Hashirama and Madara joined them soon after, Itachi sitting down as well. They ate quietly for a moment before Madara asked, attention directed towards Itachi, "You have a mission today or just training?" voice casual.

Itachi slowly answered as he ate. "We have a meeting today down at the headquarters of the village of rain. Danzo wants to meet with the rest of the Akatsuki members to speak about making amends for Konan and Nagato's lost friend. None of us particularly believe him, but we can't exactly turn it down without looking like we're only pretending to want peace. Hopefully, if worse comes to worst we can defeat him."

Hashirama frowned with worry "You have to go to this as well?" seeing a nod he glanced down at his food. "Be safe, Itachi. The village needs you, and so do we. We don't doubt your strength but even the strongest ninja can be caught off guard."

Itachi nodded in understanding of this. "I know. I'll be cautious," he promised, noticing his younger brother's hidden look of worry. Which was understandable, he had just got his brother back a little over a month ago. It would tear at his soul to lose him again.

After a bit Itachi stood, heading to the door. Before he left Sasuke couldn't help but give him a light hug, worried he wouldn't come back. But then, that was the life of a ninja. Neji had to admit he felt a bit out of place, so he stayed in the background until Itachi left and the older ninja departed.

Sasuke still looked worried, but he shoved it down as they headed towards the Hyuuga compound. They walked in silence, though Neji did lay a comforting hand on Sasuke's shoulder every once and a while when he looked particularly nervous. "You're brother will be fine. He's strong, Sasuke."

The Uchiha nodded lightly as they headed in, only receiving a few glances. "I know he's strong. But Danzo means trouble." looking away slightly as they entered Neji's house. He was worried, not because his brother was weak, but because Danzo wouldn't hold back.

"Danzo is pretty powerful, and he doesn't seem too friendly, but what makes you think he'll be too much trouble?" he asked. "He can't just march into the village with hundreds on ANBU without the Akatsuki noticing. Isn't the village supposed to be one of the best in protection?"

Sasuke nodded, helping his friend pack up a few boxes of his items. It was mainly clothes and weapons, but there were a few photos. Mostly of Neji and an older man who looked like his uncle. Sasuke assumed this was Neji's father since his uncle and he didn't get along too well and everyone knew about the Hyuuga affair. It was one of the stories which never completely died down, just like the Uchiha massacre.

"It is, but he's powerful. I know he is..." trailing off slightly. Neji gave him a questioning look and he sighed. "After Itachi returned my nightmares came back but doubled over. I remember the parts I blocked out," he admitted. Seeing Neji's prompting him to go on he scratched the back of his hand. "I ran back inside after Itachi gave me his warning. I stayed hidden under the table and no one even noticed me there until the ANBU came to clean the bodies. Not even him." he murmured.

Neji asked, stopping his cleaning, "What do you mean? Danzo was there that night before the ANBU got there? He was probably scouting and figuring out how to organize the cleanup crews. That's all."

The Uchiha quickly shook his head back and forth, fist trembling. "He was there alone. Picking the eyeballs from the corpses. He took all the Sharingan. I haven't told Itachi or anyone else for that matter. I was just waiting until everything was calmed down. But what if he dies today? What if he dies because I didn't tell him Danzo has so many Sharingan and they overpower him?"

Neji wasn't sure what to do to ease his worrying, so slowly, he moved to wrap his arms around his friend. Sasuke gave into it, head lowering but hugging back. "I'm sorry. I doubt you want to hear that, you have your own problems to worry about." the ravenette apologized.

Neji shook his head back and forth "It's alright. You shouldn't keep things this important hidden but it's understandable why you didn't tell him yet. You were just waiting for the right time. You can't be blamed for that. But don't worry, you'll get to tell him later tonight. When he returns."

TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTKTKTK

After they finished getting Neji's items, they brought them back to the Uchiha compound. Sasuke commented "Where do you think you'll want your house?" showing him around the compound. "We have some by the river, some by the compound entrance, some closer to the main house, and some in the marketing district."

Neji glanced around, rather quickly deciding. "Is one by the main house alright? I'd rather be within easy walking distance to your house," he explained, much to Sasuke's enjoyment. He leads him towards an area, where four houses stood in front of the main house.

"These four houses are where the Uchiha elders used to live. They each have two or three bedrooms, a bathroom, living room, dining room, and kitchen. They're in pretty rough shape but its more dirt than anything. These houses were built pretty strong, so it won't be the house itself but probably more anything that's been living in it since it's been abandoned. That and of course the outdated wiring."

Neji nodded "Sounds good to me. I'm up for cleaning it up as soon as we can. I have quite a bit saved up from my missions." he noted, much to Sasuke's relief. "For now though, it's getting pretty close to noon. You have work in half an hour. I can start working on cleaning out the personal items while you're working if you want."

Getting a firm nod from Sasuke, the teen got to work. After all, if he wanted to live in the compound the least he could do was clean up his own house. Besides, he doubted housework was what Sasuke needed when he was so worried. Neji just hoped Itachi would return home safe, either by killing Danzo or by the meeting not going astray. Either way was fine with him, as long as the ravenette returned to Sasuke.

They both worked all afternoon, all the way to sundown for Neji. Sasuke had stopped by to help, but Neji had quickly sent him home seeing how tired he looked. Neji came into the house at about 8:00 pm, and then they waited.


	25. Village Invite

It was around 11:00 pm when Sasuke finally gave in. Itachi usually got home around 10:00 at the latest. He didn't want to be worrying over nothing and make a fool of himself, but his worry for his older brother overwhelmed his pride. He knew logically his brother was probably just being held over longer for the meeting, but his body didn't want to listen to his mind. "I'm going to go look for him."

Madara frowned at his youngest clan member "Sasuke, your exams are coming up. You can't be exhausting yourself. I'm sure he's just held up at the meeting." he reasoned, not wanting the teen to become upset over possibly nothing. "Besides, if someone was strong enough to take out Itachi then you'll be no match for them. You're strong, but not that strong yet. Hashirama and I will go out looking, you need to stay here."

Frustrated, Sasuke stood, pounding a fist against the table and throwing away his usual level head. "I don't give a damn about the stupid exam! If I fail there's always next year. If Itachi is dead without support, I'm not exactly going to be able to get a new older brother." he glared, though logically the other was right. "I don't care if I'm not a match, at least a little bit of extra assistance could help. It's five hours on foot traveling time to Ame where the meetings being held. That means, according to your logic, the meeting went for around nine hours. I highly doubt that's the case."

Hashirama rose his hand, "Settle down, both of you. Sasuke is right, we need to go after him now. But Madara is also right, Sasuke you can't come and put yourself in danger. As much as you hate it, you're still a kid. We can't risk you dying out there. It's our responsibility to keep you safe. Do you understand?" he asked gently.

As upset and angry as Sasuke looked, he crossed his arms and nodded. He looked away, trying to even his frustrated breathing. He mentally scolded himself. Of course, they wouldn't want him along, he would just be dead weight to them. He felt Hashirama give him a side hug as Madara and he moved to get their coats on some weapons from the training room.

He didn't hug back as he had grown used to doing over the last few weeks, instead of looking away bitterly. Madara and Hashirama hated to upset him, but they rather he is alive and angry at them than dead. Hashirama sighed "We'll try to be back soon. As we said it's probably nothing. On the off chance, there was a fight, we'll stay and help them try to heal their wounds. So don't be alarmed if we aren't back for a few days. If they're hurt then it'll probably be decently sized wounds. We'll make sure they're safe. If we aren't back before the beginning of your exams then good luck. Both of you." he glanced at Neji.

Sasuke headed out the front door as they left through the back. Neji put a hand on his shoulder as he was about to leave. "Sasuke, where are you going? Come on, you're brother's strong. Let's just head to bed so we can be ready to see him when they get back." he tried to comfort him. "I'm not sure you should be alone at the moment."

Hearing this, the younger teen glared at Neji, letting out a breath. "I'll be fine. I'm not helpless." he murmured, heading out the door. He knew Neji was trying to distract him from his thoughts, but of course, he felt he needed to organize his thoughts. So he had no choice but to disregard his friend for now.

He wound up sitting in the old central park in the compound, on a bench. He had his feet placed firmly on the ground, his shoulders slumped a bit. His fingers were intertwined, his head resting in his hands. He felt frustrated and unsure. He hadn't admitted it, but he had been excited to have Madara and Hashirama watch him at the chuunin exams. He doubted they would be gone long enough to miss the second round even, but he had wanted to tell them about how he did on the first part as soon as he got home. There was no guarantee they would be, but it was possible.

Sasuke wasn't as upset about them missing it, but rather the fact they would probably be missing it because they only had two people to help the Akatsuki members. If he had just been stronger, then maybe Madara would have let him come with them. Then maybe he could make sure his brother was safe instead of sitting at home and hoping for the best like some child whose parents were away on a mission.

Speaking of children, he hated the fact Hashirama had called him a child. While it was true that Sasuke was only fourteen, he also knew for a fact he had endured more than most adults had and were completely self-sufficient. He paid bills, he had a job, he went on missions which risked his life, he was responsible enough to keep his house taken care of, he stayed in great health, he ate healthily, he was never late, and he never caused unnecessary trouble for the village! In his mind, they had no right to treat him like this. He was plenty mature enough to go with them, so why did they see him as just some kid?

Then Neji, staying with him. He loved his company and loved having him near, but it was still wrong. He knew Neji was a prodigy and he knew the boy had worked hard. But so had Sasuke. Why wasn't Sasuke strong enough to protect the ones he cared about even though he wanted to with all his soul, while Neji protected an entire ninja division without even wanting to.

Or when he had been with Sakura and Naruto on the Zabuza mission. He had nearly died protecting Naruto, something he had no issue doing for his team. But the fact was he almost died. Why did simple needles almost kill him? He was supposed to be the strong one on the team. The teams were put together based on skills. Team Asuma was obviously meant to be a recreation of the legendary Ino-Shika-Cho team, Team Kurenai was clearly supposed to be a tracking team, and Team Gai was set to be a physical attack team. Meanwhile, just as the man had said on their first mission, they were the screw-up team.

Naruto had a demon inside him and had no focus. Sakura was too busy cooing over boys to help anyone. Then Sasuke was already labeled as a soon to be traitor, just like his brother. Of course, they were placed with Kakashi. The man's own father was a supposed shame to the village, the only thing he seemed to focus on was his books, and he didn't take action to help anyone unless they were useful to him from what most knew. Sasuke assumed this was set up specifically to take them all out in one blow. It would make sense, based on the lack of repercussions the bring builder had faced for nearly having them all killed.

The teen had long ago realized Kakashi was as honorable as they come and a good person, labeled unfairly just like him. He didn't need to worry about him. But the others. Naruto was sure to get himself killed with how little he thought, and Sakura needed extra protection too since she wasn't too good beyond book smarts. This was why Sasuke through himself in front of Naruto to take that senbon, or why he was sure to keep an eye on Sakura when they fought. Even if she was annoying, he was the strongest besides Kakashi. It was his job to keep them alive. They were his comrades, but he still wound up barely able to protect them.

He felt so powerless, even after all the harsh training he put himself through in the last three years. Sliding off his wrist bands, he lifted his hand, He created a small bit of lightning in each hand before slowly bringing them down onto each wrist. He gasped in shock but allowed it to burn along his flesh. When Naruto had made his oath of pain it had been foolish, making him lose a great deal of blood. Though, the idea had worked well enough. Naruto had remembered his promise to himself.

The only difference would be, Sasuke wouldn't be stupid enough to make himself bleed out so it would have to be healed. He practiced his chakra flow away from his arms so it wouldn't run through his entire body, instead of letting the electricity run over his flesh. It hurt like hell, but since he avoided the spots near his chakra or nerves he knew it wouldn't leave any pertinent damage.

As he moved his hands away shakily, wiping away the sweat on his forehead with his wrist band protectors, he sighed. His arms were now colored a nasty red, blisters covering his arms in an odd fashion which almost looked like lightning strikes were climbing up his arms. They were about a foot long, fitting just under his wrist bands. He didn't know how, but he would get stronger. Once these markings healed, that would be what they stood for. A promise to himself to get the power to keep his loved ones safe, no matter the cost. So this was what Haku had meant.

He took the wraps from his legs and brought them up, carefully wrapping his arms while seething back the pain. Normally they would be healed first to prevent scaring, but that wasn't what needed to happen with these. He needed to keep them as a reminder of what needed to be done. Hence why they were directly in his sight. He finished wrapping his arms and let out a breath. It was nearly midnight now, he should probably head back. Just as he got ready to stand, however, he heard a voice behind him.

"You Konoha ninja get stupider every day." a female voice came from behind him. He quickly turned, Sharingan activated. After all, he hadn't expected to see anyone out four two reasons. One, it was nearly midnight. Two, they were in a mostly abandoned compound. Turning, he saw her. She had bright hair, somewhere between pink and red. Her eyes were a light brown, contrasting with her fair skin. She had a slender build and was about his age.

She wore a tan tunic with a yin-yang symbol, though there was no yin half. She also had a thick rope around her waist, which tied in the back. He picked this all up quickly with his Sharingan, also noticing her lack of headband in favor of a hat. He asked with narrow eyes, hands moving so he had better access to his sword, "And who might you be?"

The girl looked annoyed by this, crossing her arms. "The names Tayuya. Don't move for your sword, with wounds like that on your arms who could handle any weapon." she shook her head back and forth, raising her arms in mock surrender. "I was just checking out the village and came across this area, looked abandoned and thought it would be a good place to rest until I realized there was some dumbass trying to light his arms on fire."

Sasuke growled at her, "I'm not a dumbass, and I wasn't setting my arms on fire! This is the Uchiha Compound, and it isn't abandoned. I'm Sasuke Uchiha, making this land mine." he glared, not liking her insinuation. He wasn't used to girls being this...this...rude! Normally all the girls were cooing over him or talking about how strong he was. Given he hated it when the girls did this, but it was still unnatural for him.

Yayuya shrugged, "Alright, alright, you don't need to throw a fit. I was just curious since where I'm from we don't electrocute ourselves on purpose. What were you going then, Sasuke?" she asked, walking over and sitting on the edge of the bench casually as if Sasuke wasn't ready to fight.

Sasuke slowly let his arms rest, knowing he couldn't handle his sword so soon anyway. He let his arms dangle at his sides, watching her closely. "Not that it's any of your business, but I was making an oath of pain." not explaining further as it was something many ninjas did. Though, most were adults and at least a Jonin. Most also didn't allow it to scar over, trusting themselves to remember.

The girl tilted her head, looking up at him as she leaned back on the bench. "Oath of pain, yeah I've heard of those. Never seen much point in injuring myself just to remind me of my goals though. I hear it's usually about something pretty important though so I guess I wouldn't know. You looked pretty upset before you did it, someone dies or something?"

Seeing no point in lying, and needing to get it off his chest anyway, Sasuke made an annoyed noise before he grumbled. "Not yet. But a lot of people could die because I lack the power to protect them." eyes moving to meet hers and flashing red in a warning. "Though, I could easily kill you."

She laughed, knowing he was making a point by saying this. Where he had every right to, after all, she was a stranger who could very well attack at any moment. Seeing his glare she relaxed her laughter, shaking her head. "Yes, yes, I'm sure you could. And that's noble of you, wanting to protect others. You remind me of a lot of Maitre."

Sasuke raised a brow at her, not sure who or what 'Maitre' was. She put a hand against her forehead "Oh yeah! I'm being an idiot. There's no way you would know who Maitre is." she noted. "He's the leader of my village, the Village Hidden in the Sound. He has this nice black hair just like yours, but way longer. He's pale too, but you're a ting darker toned. He's slim too, looks like he could be snapped in half! Of course, anyone within three feet who wanted to do harm would be dead. He's extremely powerful and looks out for all his villagers. He's very protective. He even has a secret jutsu he puts on his members to enhance their power tenfold."

Now interested, Sasuke leaned against the picnic table only a few feet away. "A secret jutsu that makes you more powerful? Seems like you'd have to trade away a lot to get it if it works as well as you say. Konoha doesn't even teach jutsu for free besides ten or so basic ones in the Academy."

Yayuya shrugged "Not really. The only catch is you have to prove your loyalty to the village and be willing to do what it takes to help it. Take guard shifts when the guards are sick, take part in contests or exams out of the village to spread its name, assist him with his work at times, you know. Basic stuff. I can see why larger villages wouldn't be able to offer things like it though, too many people. The Sound only has about three hundred or so people. Oh, the thing that shakes most people off though it the edited laws. The laws there are a lot different than in the main villages."

"What do you mean by different? Like they're more laid back so it's easier for crime to happen?" he asked wearily. Having always grown up in a larger village with over a thousand other members, he had, of course, heard plenty of bad about the small villages. Like how they were poor, filled with crime, and dangerous.

The girl rolled her eyes. "Typical of five great nations boy. Assuming just because its small it's dangerous. No, the village is not poor or dangerous. It's actually quite wealthy. It isn't that we don't have the resources to take in new members. It's that we make sure only people who will help the village enter. To enter you have to have either a rare and unique jutsu or a kekki genkai we don't have already. You see, he wants to learn all the jutsu so he can help fix this world easier. So he gathers others willing to help lend a hand in fixing the nations."

She smiled "The main rules are simple. Help anyone who needs help within the village. No revealing the location of the village. No leading others into the village. No leaving without permission. Give up some DNA to help share your power with others." seeing the teen's unsure look at the DNA note she reminded "Yeah, most dislike the DNA thing. But you have to remember in return for losing a bit of your DNA which you would regain naturally, you get the power of over one hundred others. You know, since you seem interested in getting power, maybe you could join. I'm Maitre's personal bodyguard along with a few others, so I know what he has and what he needs. He doesn't have a Sharingan yet."

This put Sasuke off, and he glanced away. "I don't know. The Sharingan is a rare ability. Only three others besides me have it from what I know. It seems a bit...disrespectful. To sell off my family's kekki genkai in turn for power."

"You could think of it like that. Or you could think of it how it really is. Getting more power for your bloodline so it stays strong. Though there isn't a guarantee he would take it anyway. He might just observe or decides it's better to leave it to you." Yayuya noted. She stretched. "Plus this way you could protect the ones you want to, right? Well anyway, it's nearly one based on the moon's position. I'm staying for the chuunin exams. You have until then to decide, and if you do say yes to it then you can meet me at the gates of Kohona after the stage where I get eliminated. If I do."

Seeing his mouth open she interrupted "It won't matter how far you get if you agree. You'll have your rank as a Konoha ninja stripped from you anyway." he frowned, but nodded in understanding. As she stood to go, she added "Oh, and dumbass, don't tell anyone about this. We wouldn't want to be accused of trying to steal ninja. I'm just trying to help since you're joining would help both you and the village." before heading off.


	26. The Written Test

Over the next few days, things were quiet around the compound for Sasuke and Neji. They didn't have the training, and all Sasuke could think of was the offer he had been given. If he did, in fact, go with the girl, it would mean leaving so much behind. His friends, his teammates, his sensei, Madara, Hashirama, Itachi, Neji. He didn't know if he could.

Once Hashirama and Madara arrived, he had opened up so much more than he was used to. He joined his team for after mission ramen, he let himself relax with friends now that revenge wasn't an issue, he had even started accepting Madara and Hashirama as his new family alongside Itachi. He had also realized he was interested in others...in a romantic sense.

He had never paid it any mind and dubbed anything romantic as a waste of time. He had ignored the girls in favor of revenge. Now, without revenge, he was opened to an entirely new world. Though, not one he would have expected. Rather than being suddenly interested in holding the girls who fawned over him as one would expect, he found himself more interested in a certain Hyuuga.

It was odd. Neji was strong, probably stronger than him. The Hyuuga was brave as well, willing to push against years of tradition. But even so, each time Sasuke saw that horrible curse mark it made him angered. How dare they mark him like a possession. How dare they hurt him. He found a sort of protectiveness he had never felt before. He wanted to hold Neji, to give him the change to know what affection was like. To bring him into his family and away from those awful Hyuuga.

Sasuke wanted to protect Neji from any more pain. But he knew he wasn't strong enough to do that, not how he was now. He was slowly becoming stronger with the training he was receiving from his many mentors, but it wasn't enough. Plus Naruto was growing stronger every day. How was Sasuke supposed to hold him back if he was stronger? What if Naruto got Sakura killed with his recklessness?

Those two were the least of his worries, however. His brother was out there, possibly dead. Or, if he was really unlucky, dead with Hashirama and Madara. He knew rationally they were strong, but emotionally he couldn't help but worry. He didn't want to lose a second family. He shoved this all down, sitting in his desk as he entered the chuunin exams. He noticed his teammates were spread out from him, and for good reason. He wouldn't put it past Naruto to cheat, honestly.

He stayed quiet as Ibiki came in, holding multiple sheets of paper. The room silenced and Sasuke noticed the much older ninja sitting off to the side watching them. He let out a quiet breath, knowing he needed to stay calm. Ibiki looked over the students with a frown. "I'll be the administrator for the writing portion of the chuunin exams. There will be nine questions to answer, then one at the end. You have one hour and will start with ten points. The chuunin on this side of the room will be watching for any cheating. Being caught five times will result in your team's disqualification. Each time you are caught cheating results in a two-point deduction. If one person gets a zero, their team fails. Begin." he spoke strongly as the pages were handed out.

Before Sasuke could even begin his mind was rushing. They could get caught five times? Why not once? Also, why the hell was the entire team at risk? He at first was annoyed but pushed it back. There had to be a rational explanation. That or Ibiki was messing with their minds as he was good at. Looking down at the paper, he felt his stomach tighten. These were two times harder than anything Anko had ever given him.

He was sure he could work a few out, but just barely. There would be no way anyone else would understand these. He began, doing his work best he could. Half an hour in, he was done but unsatisfied. He closed his eyes as if trying to ease a headache. In reality, he was focusing his mind on sliding the man in front of him into a genjutsu. His chest was tight, but he had to try to check and see if his answers looked at least similar.

Sasuke had the man move his paper to the side lightly, the man shooing an invisible fly and in the process accidentally showing his paper. Sasuke used his Sharingan to copy the man's paper in his mind before allowing the genjutsu to fall. He edited his page, silently thanking Itachi for the few stealth lessons he had given him.

The teen silently flipped his paper over, knowing it would be the best way to keep his competition lowered. Sasuke kept his head down, not wanting to be accused of cheating. Now, the hardest part. Hoping Naruto could keep himself together. He really wished he has Tsukuyomi so he could speak to the other two. Too bad he was pretty sure no trauma would ever top the massacre to get him those eyes.

He thought it through and decided to glance over at Naruto. His paper was empty. Damn it. Sasuke thought maybe Sakura's book smarts would help her here. Or maybe she would figure out the real meaning and ace it. If they both got one hundred percent, maybe they would be able to make up for Naruto if not for the zero rule. Slowly people began being kicked out. Sasuke let out a breath, noticing how few were left.

Ibiki spoke finally, "There are fifteen minutes left in the exam. You will be given the final question now. But first, the rule to this question." he eyed the test takers, "If you get it incorrect, you will get a zero and be banned from the chuunin exams for life. If you chose to leave now, you will be allowed to retake the exam next time."

Quickly looks of horror passed over the test taker's faces, glancing back and forth around the room towards their teams. Some nodded to each other and stood, while others glared and motioned for their teammates to sit down. Sasuke's eyes flickered to Naruto and Sakura. He hated this. There was no way Naruto would pass this, and there was no guarantee he and Sakura had enough points anyway.

If they dropped out, it would be humiliating. After all his training, to have to meet with Kisame and tell the man he had dropped out because they got scared. To see Anko and Ibiki and be constantly reminded of his failure. Or to see Itachi and have to tell him he hadn't been able to get past the first round when his brother was in ANBU at the time. He didn't know how Hashirama and Madara would react, but he worried they would be disappointed. Neji and Shikamaru were still here too. What would they think if he backed down?

But on the other hand, if they did fail this out of pride, their dreams would be crushed. Sasuke would never surpass his brother and become strong enough to protect those precious to him. Sakura would never become a real ninja, she would instead be picking weeds forever. Then Naruto. Naruto's dream of being Hokage would be destroyed. Who had ever heard of a genin Kage? Sasuke might not fully believe he could be the Hokage, but it wasn't his right to take that dream away. Or to let him throw that dream away.

Sasuke had to think for a moment. This was Ibiki, and if there was one thing he knew, the man took any chance he could as a moment to test a person's mind. The test had two meanings, so he was sure this question did too. It was a risk all for a possible gain, or gain for the cost of a loss that could never be retracted. His eyes snapped open in realization.

It was like mental torture. The amount of time Ibiki had spent lecturing him about the realities of torture was endless. How in a split second many would spill the secrets of their village, risking everyone they were supposed to protect. How it was better to endure the torture that put hundreds of lives at risk. He clenched his knuckle quietly. He wouldn't give in to relieve momentary stress. He would stay and protect their team's pride, even if it meant they could never regain the life they lost.

Naruto shifted in his seat, and Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Luckily, the blonde had no intention of backing down it seemed. "I'm not scared and I don't back down. That's my nindo, it doesn't matter if I have to become the Hokage as a genin!" Naruto declared, much to some of the other student's notice. Hands went down, and less raised them. Ibiki looked momentarily impressed.

He crossed his arms. "The last call," he warned. Seeing no one move to stand, he smirked. "Very well. You all pass the written exam, congratulations."


	27. They come and they go

Sasuke was in the training room, practicing with his sword while silently smiling. He had made it past the moral part of the exam it seemed. Neji was pleased to of pasted as well, in the kitchen making them both some tea. A knock at the door got their attention. Sasuke went over, opening the door. Hashirama stood there beside Madara, Itachi slumped over the brunette's back. Kisame was on Madara's back, unconscious looking. Itachi was passed out, his eyes bandaged.

The youngest Uchiha moved out of the way quickly, his mood dying quickly. Why was Itachi on Hashirama's back? Why was he so pale? Was he dead? Had his eyes been stolen? These thoughts made his chest tight as Itachi was carried over to the couch and carefully laid down along with Kisame. Neji entered the room and asked the question Sasuke was too scared to. "What happened?" he asked gently.

Hashirama sat beside Itachi on the couch tiredly, while Madara got a washrag to clean Itachi's face which was slightly dirty from the trip. Madara explained while cleaning his kin's face, "We got there about three or so hours after the fight ended. They fought on for a while before they were finally overpowered. Nagato, Kisame, and Sasori were the ones who took most of the damage before the fight ended. Apparently protecting Konan, Itachi, and Deidara."

He paused to glance over at Kisame. "Pain and Konan were the only ones still conscious when we got there. He said it was because it was only his six path's body. So hopefully that means he wasn't feeling any of the pain from the attacks because that body was nearly shredded beyond recognition. He told us they had waited until the very end of the talk until they struck when their guards were lowest."

Madara clenched his eyes shut gently. "They're alive, but barely. They're in a comatose state right now. When I got there Konan and Nagato were barely conscious but trying to stop the blood from the biggest wounds on them. Itachi's eyes were taken, Kisame had a large sword stab mark in his lower stomach, Sasori's puppet body had parts pulled off, Deidara was beaten beyond recognition, and I don't even want to talk about Konan and Nagato's wounds." he sighed.

"We stayed for a few days, but come home since we didn't want to miss you're exams or worry you. Nagato is up again, and as is Sasori. Konan, Deidara, and these two haven't woken up yet though. It's just a matter of time though. They'll wake up soon." Hashirama assured him, running a tired hand through Itachi's hair. Sasuke's chest tightened, he knew it. Itachi was hurt because they didn't have more backup. Now his eyes were gone too, and he knew just who had taken them. Danzo.

His chest hurt a bit as he tried to stop himself from crying at the idea of an eyeless Itachi. Madara must have understood his thoughts because he reached over to Sasuke, pulling him into a firm hug. Sasuke didn't say anything, instead of settling for accepting the hug and laying his head against the older Uchiha's chest.

Hashirama lightly patted Sasuke's shoulder, while Neji's head lowered slightly in sympathy. After enough time had passed Hashirama dared to ask about the exams, assuming they had passed and it would help lighten the mood. "So your exams were a few days ago. How did they go." he offered.

Sasuke finally pulled away from Madara, wiping the tears he refused to let fall away. He didn't want to cry in front of them, even if he really needed it at the moment. "They went fine. We passed." he murmured and Neji nodded. Hashirama nodded a bit and eyed the boy gently.

It was obvious he was upset, and Hashirama knew he shouldn't push too much. "That's good. I'm sure you both did great." he offered. Sasuke nodded almost emptily as he stood up, making his way towards the front door. He murmured about going for a walk but didn't say much else. Hashirama moved to go after him, but Madara stopped him with a shake of the head. He probably just needed to be alone.

TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTKTKTK

Sasuke headed out, needing a moment. He headed to the village, knowing the noise would be much too loud to allow him to think about Itachi. Which was exactly what he needed. He went around the village a few times, watching his surroundings quietly. Naruto was at the ramen shop with Iruka. Sakura was shopping with her parents. Both seemed happy enough. He passed by Kakashi who was sitting by a tree reading his book. He seemed content.

The village overall looked fine, with the many children running around playing games. He smiled thinly. That was what he wanted one day for his compound. A place where children could be at lease despite their abilities. This was why he needed to get stronger. So he could protect them from death, or perhaps from a fate even worse, being used by the village as Itachi had been.

On his third round around the village, he noticed Kakashi was now watching him with a raised brow. The silver-haired Jonin motioned him over, and his student complied. Kakashi flipped a page in his book, motioning Sasuke to sit by him. Sasuke complied.

Sasuke sat down quietly, looking over at his sensei. "What is it, Kakashi?" he asked, not sure what the other would want. His teacher glanced at him with an amused look, making him slightly annoyed. What was so funny?

Kakashi snapped his book shut and lightly patted Sasuke on the head with it. "No need to be so serious, Sasuke. You look upset. It isn't smart for a shinobi to get so lost in their mind. It never ends well. Did something happen?"

An annoyed look crossed Sasuke's face as the book patted against his head, Sasuke reflexively moving to swat it away. "Hn. I'll decide what is and isn't allowed to go on in mind. Nothing happened." he lied, silence filling the air soon after. He asked after a moment, Kakashi having returned to his reading, "You said you lost teammates before." his voice quiet. "When one of us is lost, you'll still stay, right? Even if we're lost because of our own stupidity?"

Kakashi had been expecting the younger shinobi to ask a lot of questions, but it hadn't been this one. He remained to calm however as he spoke. "I have, and of course I would if it ever came to that. Which it won't. You, Naruto, and Sakura all have the potential to be an amazing ninja. You all will become great ninja someday. You will become this ninja through your own hard choices." guessing by the wording he meant if one of them went evil, he added. "Even if you chose another path, I'll do all within my power to steer you back."

The younger ninja nodded a bit, thinking this through. He knew Kakashi would never leave Naruto and Sakura, but if he disappeared, would the silver-haired Jonin go after him? He didn't want to risk it. Then how could he leave the village? He knew Naruto and Sakura would want to go after him too. He couldn't risk them getting hurt going after him. He noted he also couldn't legally join the sound village while a member of the leaf.

Well, he could and just become a missing-nin but he wasn't too fond of being hunted down. He could do it legally and remove himself from the village population, but then it gave him less time to leave. Kakashi and his team might still follow him but the Hokage couldn't legally send out search groups then. Kakashi wouldn't risk Naruto and Sakura's future just to get him back.

Kakashi and his team, of course, weren't the only ones to worry about. The biggest issue would be Madara, Hashirama, and Itachi. If he left right now the older two would be busy taking care of Itachi. He wasn't a fool. He knew his family would never allow him to leave and run off to some village no one had ever heard of until recently in exchange for his blood limit on the off chance he would grow stronger. He also knew how dangerous this was. His mind just wasn't accepting the warning signals at the moment. All he knew was he needed to be stronger. If everyone hating him when he returned was what it took, so be it. Being an Uchiha, he was used to it.

Sasuke finally commented to his sensei who had remained quiet while he was in thought, "I would never betray the village." he spoke quietly before standing. He just wanted to make it clear, knowing it would hurt Kakashi if he turned against the village. He didn't want him to think too terribly of him once he returned.

Kakashi watched him walk off, and frowned. He would have to keep an eye on the teen after that. It was almost like a warning.

TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTKTKTKTK

Sasuke headed back to the compound, specifically to the park. He looked all over the compound for Tayuya, frowning as she was nowhere to be seen. Just as he was about to head home for the day, she came through the gates. He headed over to her, trying not to look too nervous or pushy. The pink-haired girl saw him and put her hands on her hips, "You looking for me? What do you need?"

The dark-haired male sighed a bit and glanced away. "I just came to tell you in advance. I'll be leaving with you after the exams, but I'll need to go as soon as possible. I have to leave early so a certain few ninja's aren't following me. Can we meet up somewhere along the way or something?" he suggested.

Tayuya frowned internally. This wouldn't be going according to schedule if she returned so early. She needed to stay until the third round to put up a shield for Orochimaru while he fought the third Hokage. But then, there were a lot of variables they hadn't known about before. The proved rumors of Madara and Hashirama could be an issue. She did need to report to him these findings. Perhaps by bringing him a powerful vessel such as Sasuke, her master would forgive her.

She smiled as she nodded "Don't worry about it. I got surprise orders to return early anyway so I can't stay for the rest of the exams. I was actually about to go looking for you." she lied easily. "Go ahead and head home. We can leave tomorrow at 3:00 am, meet me at the gate then," she ordered as she knew Sasuke's schedule due to stalking his for her master, walking past him.

He nodded firmly before heading back to his house. He would need the sleep, and make peace with the fact he would be leaving his family soon. He entered the house to see Itachi still on the couch, Hashirama in the kitchen, and Madara reading beside his unconscious kin. Madara offered him a weak smile, and Sasuke gave a light one back. He would miss Madara's silent greetings.

He headed into the kitchen to sit down once dinner was ready, Madara joining them. No one said much of anything, all of them lost in their own minds. Sasuke ate quietly, wondering if in his new village if they would sell as many different types of herbs and foods as they did in Konoha. After all, it was going to be a smaller village. Who knew what their food situation would be.

The silence was broken when Hashirama asked lightly, "Are you alright, Sasuke? You look troubled." he frowned. Sasuke felt a ping of guilt, knowing how worried Hashirama got. He knew the former Hokage would worry over his well being once he was gone. That was just the kind of rare kindness he had.

Sasuke nodded lightly. "I'm fine. Just processing. I just need some sleep." he smiled lightly. He stood after that since Hashirama moved to do the dishes. Sasuke headed to his room, quietly closing his door. He got out his bag.

He piled his few personal items into it. He placed his group photo with his team in the bag, knowing he would need it. Who knew how long he would take. A year at most, he figured. He also placed a few pairs of clothes in the bag, knowing he would need them. He would bring his sword of course, but that couldn't go in the bag. He frowned, never having realized just how little he owned for personal enjoyment besides weapons.

Speaking of weapons, he would need to bring his best just in case. Waiting until both Madara and Hashirama were asleep, he inched out of his room. He did his best to stay silent, going to the weapons room and getting a few things. Senbon, his favorite kunai set, explosive tags, and a few other little weapons. He also pulled out the most basic medical supplies, in case they got attacked on the way there. Just one last thing then.

He inched into the living room, quietly opening the bottom drawer. He pulled out his old family album, which had a light layer of dust over it. He slid it quietly into his bag after wiping the dust off it. Just as he thought he was home free, a voice came from behind him.

"Sasuke? What are you doing?" a groggily Itachi asked from the couch. Sasuke cursed mentally and headed over, setting his bag in his room first. He sighed and sat beside Itachi on the couch. Sasuke hugged his brother's weak form.

"Itachi. I'm not going to lie to you, because you're too wounded to follow me and I need a messenger anyway." he smiled weakly, though Itachi was now on guard. "I've got to go for a bit. My reasons are hard to explain, but I have to do this. Just stay safe and get through this for me. I know losing your eyes must be terrible. I'm sorry to leave at a time like this. My timing must be terrible." he smiled bittersweetly. "But just listen. When Hashirama and Madara realize I'm gone, tell them I said this. I am not betraying the village. I love you all like family. And I will be back. Don't try to look for me." he whispered, tears threatening to fall.

Itachi said nothing, listening until his brother finished. He could tell by his voice he was ready to cry and knew Sasuke was right. He was too weak to stop his brother from leaving. He could barely lift his head. Had this been how he felt that night? Unable to stop something terrible? Unable to know what to think? Itachi knew for a fact Itachi had hated his timing when he had to kill them all, Sasuke just entering the academy. So he understood his younger brother's dislike of whatever situation he was in.

He took a breath, lifting an arm weakly to wrap around his brother. He couldn't stop him, so the least he could do was support him. "Be safe, little brother. We'll be waiting for your return. When you get back you can tell me all about it. We love you too." his weak voice came out before he returned to consciousness. Sasuke hugged his now limp body tightly, before heading back to his room.

Sasuke swiftly wrote a letter of resigning from his position as a shinobi of the leaf, as well as one of his resigning of a villager. He shifted his assets to Neji since he didn't want to leave it up for grabs but technically none of the others were official villagers. Well, Hashirama was but he didn't want to complicate things in case they needed to pull money from his bank account. That, and he trusted Neji not to misuse his cash.

He sealed the papers and flopped down on his bed, curling up quietly. Tomorrow he would be off, and he would need all the rest he could get for emotional and physical reasons.


	28. Sound Village

Sasuke stood at the front gate of the village in silence after turning in his letter of resigning, letter of retreat from the village, and property and cash transfer. Everything was set. The streets were empty, and he briefly wondered where the guards that should have been placed at the gates were.

Tayuya came closer to him from the distance, followed by a few others. One was a thin muscled tan man, who looked like a rougher version of Iruka. The other was a bulky shinobi with orange hair and a right frown. The last two were a pair of slim men with side-parted silver hair, the one which held a light smirk as they approached. Sasuke assumed these were the other members of this 'sound village'.

Tayuya waved to the other, greeting him easily. "Yo, Sasuke, glad you came. This is Kidomaru, Jirobo, Sakon, and Ukon. They're the other genin from our village taking part in the exams. They'll be coming back with us to the sound village. Let's head out now. There's only a short amount of time we have until new guards show up. They're switching shifts right now."

Sasuke nodded slightly, following the older shinobi as they headed out the front gate. He glanced over his shoulder lightly, almost reconsidering. Almost. He knew he had to do this for himself. If he didn't get stronger he could never protect the ones he cared for.

They ran in silence for a few moments, Sasuke not bothering to say anything. After all, it wasn't them who would be training him or working to give him power. He wouldn't go out of his way to make conversation if they didn't want to talk.

Sakon spoke after a while "It takes just over a day to get there at the very most since it's about thirty hours away at the very most. If we keep running we should get there around 8:00 am tomorrow morning, including breaks for food and rest. We'll rest for about four hours tonight, and we have some food in our bags so we don't have to waste time stopping for food. Us four will take the night watch since the village leader will want a word with you to induct you into the village."

Sasuke nodded a bit in understanding. "Got it," he commented. They continued on for a while until they finally made it out of leaf territory. Sasuke glanced around but stayed close to the others, never having been in this area before. It didn't seem to have many people around, he noted.

They ran until sundown when finally they stopped under a tree. Sasuke was glad to stop, used to having many long breaks with Kakashi due to Naruto's nagging. His legs were a bit sore, though he didn't voice his complaints as Ukon commanded each person.

"Tayuya, go gather some berries. Jirobo, go catch some fish in the nearby river. Sakon and I will start setting up camp. Sasuke, start working on the fire." He got a few nods and a few eye-rolls from his teammates. They all dispersed, leaving only Sakon and Ukon with Sasuke at their soon to be a campsite.

Ukon started helping Sakon with setting up camp, while Sasuke got some stones and formed a circle. He lit the grassy area underneath on fire so it would be dry and create less smoke. He got a few sticks and warmed them by lighting a small fire in his hands until they were dry. He finally lit it, looking at the large smokeless fire in satisfaction. Ukon came up behind Sasuke and looked down at the fire, impressed. At least the leaf brat wasn't useless.

The others soon returned, and Sakon rolled a pair of logs over near the campfire. They finished their jobs soon and sat down for a rest. Each person got one fish and a handfull of raspberries Tayuya had found. Sasuke ate the berries and fish quietly, the others doing the same. It seemed sound ninja weren't very talkative. Good.

Ukon rolled stretched as he stood up, "Alright, I'll take first watch. I'll wake you up in an hour Sakon, then you wake up Jirobo, then finally Tayuya. See you all later." he grumbled, jumping up a tree to start his watch. Sasuke laid down in his sleeping bag, just as the others did.

He slept for four hours, though his mind was unsettled so it wasn't the best sleep. He was woken up by Tayuya, who pressed her foot to his side while she munched on some berries. "Morning, Uchiha brat." she greeted. He sat up, only offering a 'hn' of annoyance in reply. He was not a morning person.

Sasuke got up after waking up, stretching a bit. He noticed the others were already at work taking down the camp and snacking on the berries. He headed over, unsure if they needed any help. Jirobo answered this as he noted "Get a handful of berries and run in that direction until you hit a river, in case someone doesn't want to accept your leaving. We don't want you being followed since our village is in hiding."

Sasuke did as he was told, Tayuya joining him. They ran for about half an hour before finally finding the river. He stood in the river for a few seconds, figuring if the tracking team came after him they would be lost at the river. He wasn't expecting to feel mud squish against the back of his head, tangling in his hair. He turned around to send a glare at Tayuya, "What the hell?" he demanded.

Tayuya only rolled her eyes, picking up another bit of mud and wiping it over his clothes. "When we return we'll have to continue on to the village. taking them off the trail won't do much good if we still leave the right trail to go after. We have to disguise your scent, and I doubt you want four strangers watching you get a mudbath." she explained.

Sasuke flustered as she rubbed the mud against his thighs. "I can do it myself!" he glared, taking a step back and falling into the river. Great. He watched the girl smirk at him and put her hands up in mock surrender, the teen standing and wiping the mud on himself. Great, he got to meet the leader of the village looking like some child of the mud.

He finished soon enough and headed back to the camp with her. He noticed the others had simply rubbed a bit of Eucalyptus oil over themselves, much to his annoyance. Why did he have to be head to toe in mud while they rubbed oils over themselves to get rid of their scent?

Ukon must have picked up on his displeaser because as he rubbed it over his skin he commented, "Don't look so sour. They'll have a lot of your personal items to use, while they barely know our scent. We have to cover you good, but the oil from these leaves will do fine for us. Now, let's go." he commanded. Sasuke was pretty sure he was the leader at this point. Either him or Sakon. Maybe both.

They ran for a few more hours, Sasuke finding it a lot harder with his body being soaked in mud as well as his clothes being wet and heavy from the river. They arrived just around the time Sakon said, a bit earlier. It was 7:30, so Sasuke figured they had made good time. They arrived at a tree and stopped. Sasuke was momentarily confused as he had expected to see an actual village.

He watched as Ukon came up to a tree, lifting his palm. The area around them seemed to waver before the tree bark warped revealing the carvings. On either side of the tree, there were two large snake carvings and a single line down the middle of the tree. Sakon muttered something, and the bark peeled upwards to reveal its insides. There was a large tunnel coming down from the trunk, with small torches down the side.

Sasuke pressed his lips together, slightly nervous. He followed after them, barely able to see where he was going due to the dark. The tree peeled back into place behind them, making the room nearly black if not for the torches. He followed them with a small gulp, not sure why he was so nervous. After all, it was supposed to be hidden, right? It was just a good defense, he assured himself.

As they came down, his eyes widened. It was a large opening at the bottom, the lights on the roof of the cave-like area illuminating everything. There was a weapons shop, food vendors, shops, and nearly everything else a normal village would have. But that wasn't what caught his eye. What caught his eye was the four large doors on either side of the village, each having a symbol on it. One had the symbol for jutsu, the other for life, the other for death, and the least one for kekki genkai. In the very center of it all, behind the village area, was a mansion-like building. It looked dark, the town clearly built with a snake theme.

There were a few people walking around, nearly all at least giving him a glance. Some looked like average shinobi, while others looked almost mutated. There was a grim mood to the place, a few people looking at him with...pity? He wasn't sure why, but he noticed as well some children hide behind their mothers and fathers at his entrance. Tayuya waved him on "Let's go. The village leader will want to see you."


	29. Excited, Sasuke?

Hashirama stood up, only hours after Sasuke had left. He rubbed his temple, tired and stressed from using so much chakra the last few days to heal up the Akatsuki members. His eyes flashed slightly as he noticed a lack of Sasuke's chakra in the house. How late was it, he hadn't headed out for exams already, had he? He headed downstairs, frowning when he saw no sign of Sasuke.

He shook his head back and forth in amusement. The boy must be more excited to become a chuunin than he had thought. He had wanted to go to the exams to watch Sasuke from the sidelines, but Madara wasn't any good at healing so he supposed he would just have to stay home with Itachi while Madara watched Sasuke.

The brunette knelt beside Itachi and Kisame on the couch, opening up a few of their bandages to clean them out. They luckily stayed asleep, so they didn't have to feel it. Hashirama hoped they would sleep for a while so their wounds could heal.

Madara soon headed down, frowning tiredly. He was not a morning person, after all. "Where's Sasuke? His exams don't start for another two or three hours." shaking his head back and forth as he noticed a lack of dishes. "That foolish hatchling had better not of skipped breakfast on such a big day."

Chuckling, Hashirama shook his head back and forth at his old rival. "He's probably just preparing for the big day. Maybe he went out for breakfast or some warm-up training?" he suggested as Madara started breakfast up.

"Tch, perhaps. But he's crazy if he thinks I'm leaving for those exams this early. It's five in the morning, that's far too early to be up and about. I barely want to wake up at this hour." he shook his head back and forth.

Hashirama smirked as he finished, heading over to fling his arms around the Uchiha. "Such a grumpy old man you are. Aren't Uchiha supposed to be the type to rise with the sun?" he joked.

Madara tried to shrug the arm off him, to no avail. He swatted at the other's hand with the spatula. "Most Uchiha have an affinity for fire, that's the only reason they're up so damn early. You know I have an affinity for wind."

Pulling his hand away with a pout, he sighed. "Still as mean as any Uchiha, though," he muttered rubbing his hand and watching the other cook.

Madara shook his head back and forth, handing the other his plate as he scolded lightly, "Stop your pouting and eat. You've been using a lot of chakra, Senju scum." he murmured, taking his plate to the table to eat.

A hand on his hip while the other held his food, Hashirama scowled. "I'm not pouting." before his face brightened. "Hey, what an oxymoron. You know, since Senji have so much chakra and all." sitting down beside the raven happily.

Madara took a bite of his eggs, glaring lightly at the other. "You figure that out all on your own, moron?" he asked, the fun of his wordplay dying a bit each time Hashirama felt the need to explain it to him as if he hadn't just said it.

Hashirama cackled at that, nearly choking on his food. "Is this how you rallied the troops back in the day? With puns? Damn it, I knew you had a secret weapon!" only calming down a bit when he saw Neji head into the kitchen looking near panicked. He took a breath to calm himself then asked: "What's wrong Neji?"

The brunette was looking at the clock in confusion now. "I didn't see or sense Sasuke so I thought I was late for the exams. It's only five-thirty?" he asked tiredly, rubbing at the sleep in his eyes.

Hashirama chuckled with a nod. "Yes, we were wondering where he was this morning too. He was gone by the time we woke up. It seems he went or for some early warm-up training or something of the sort."

Madara waved the boy over, giving him the plate he had made him a few moments earlier. "Come on, sit. He probably headed out early so he'd be awake and alert for the exams. He'll hopefully be smart enough to get some food at the market place on the way to the exams. You still need food too though since you'll be participating."

Neji nodded in thanks, taking the eggs and sitting beside the older shinobi. He was honestly a bit disappointed Sasuke had already left, having gotten used to being around the other genin. Hashirama and Madara could sense his drop in mood despite how well he hid it, and both would be lying if they said it didn't amuse them to some level.

Hashirama, who Neji was sitting directly beside, nudged the younger man's ribs with a slight grin. "Nervous~?" he joked with the younger who only glared in return, having gotten used to being around them and lost the nervousness that had come with the first few encounters. "So, what was the first round about? We never had the chance to ask how the exams went yesterday."

Neji swallowed the bit he was taking before speaking. "All of the rookie 11 passed the first round. We had to take a written exam." he noticed both the older shinobi's faces fall at this.

"Wait...so you're saying to become a chuunin you have to take written tests? Like trajectory and things like that?" seeing Neji's nod, Madara looked immediately offended. "That is ridiculous! I can hit a target hundreds of feet away, but I can't tell you how. Imagine how many good ninjas got kicked out of this exam just because they don't know the technical reasons!" he frowned, Hashirama nodding in agreement.

Neji sighed a bit. "You didn't let me finish. We had to take a written exam with a bunch of Chuunin watching us. If we got caught cheating five times our entire team was disqualified." he explained. "But if we left the page blank, our team was also disqualified. Seeing as how we got five chances to be caught, it was fairly obvious it was a test to check our data gathering skills. Sasuke cast genjutsu with his Sharingan to make the person in front of him distracted by a fly. So that he could see his paper. Shikamaru used his shadow capture technique. I used by Byuakugan to see past people into their papers, and so on."

Hashirama nodded in understanding, "Ah, I understand now. Information gathering is important. But doesn't that mean that only people willing to cheat pass on? I understand some would do it because they figured it out, but others might cheat just to take the easy road. Which isn't good for a ninja."

Neji shook his head back and forth. "That's what the last part of the first exam was for. We got one extra question. If we got it right we automatically passed, if we got it wrong we failed and were never allowed to take the exams again. He also gave the choice to leave and fail, but be able to come back again later. If we left we failed, but if we stayed we passed since Ibiki said we have to be able to stick to our decisions even if it means death. Or in this case the death of our ninja careers." grimacing slightly. "Then he took off his bandana and showed us scars from where he was tortured for information while going on into one of his long dialogues."

Madara nodded a bit. "Unfortunately, a lesson that must be learned eventually if you become a chuunin where you go into more enemy territory. You said the rookie 11 all passed, any other teams who you think will make it on to the next round?"

Finishing his food and going to wash the dish, Neji nodded. "The sand siblings, Team 7, Team 8, those sound ninja, Team 10, and Team 3 will probably all move on. But I don't know for sure since we have no idea what this round is about either."

Hashirama looked interested. "Sand siblings and sound ninja?" he asked. "I would guess the sand siblings where from Suna, but I've never heard of the sound village. Is it a smaller one?"

Nodding, Neji explained, "The sand siblings are Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari. They're led by a man named Baki, I believe. Gaara is the one holding the one tails inside him. We thought he was kind of creepy at first. I and Sasuke were talking and we noticed him staring so we asked if he needed something and he shook his head no. Didn't even say anything just walked away."

After a moment of thought he added, "Well, I suppose I can't be too annoyed though. We ended up speaking a bit when we ran into him on the way back home from training, a day or so after the Chunnin exams. We got impressed with his sand manipulation and he noticed us so we approached. We ended up training for a while after that."

Seeing how deep in thought the younger brunette was, Hashirama asked "What did you all talk about? He might have been admiring your skills too since you said you were watching his skills too."

Neji shook his head back and forth. "That's what we talked about actually. We asked why he had been watching us. He said he thought our eyes were interesting. Something about how our eyes looked pained but happy at the same time." frowning a bit as he finished washing the dishes. "He said he wished his eyes could be happy too. We ended up going to dinner with him, and we said we'd have to hang out again sometime as friends."

He puffed up his cheeks in annoyance, a habit he had picked up recently from Sasuke. "It was so weird. He got down and knelt his head to the floor in a bow. He thanked us and said he would be honored to befriend us. Then offered his assistance if we ever needed any. Spirits, I can't handle it when people bow. Everyone was staring." he muttered.

Madara chuckled at that, and Hashirama smiled. "It sounds like you made this boy very happy. Sasuke mentioned this Gaara when we were out in the woods with Naruto, once. We hear one of the sannin went through a great deal of trouble to seal the one tails so he would be able to control it better. I can only imagine how hard it would be to live your life with a demon inside you. I'm sure having friends isn't something he'll take lightly, much like Naruto."

A ring at the door interrupted them.


	30. Mistakes

Madara frowned, heading to the door. They didn't usually get visitors. He opened the door, and there stood the third Hokage. Madara raised a brow, greeting the elderly man. Hashirama stared slightly with a gaping look. This couldn't be the little squirt his brother had trained, could it? The third nodded in greeting to the Uchiha before he was let in. He looked serious as he spoke. "Where is Sasuke? It's urgent that I speak with him."

Hashirama shook his head back and forth at the shorter man. "He was gone by morning. He's probably out doing some warm-up training for the exams. Did something happen? Madara can probably go looking in the village for his chakra if you need." he offered.

Hiruzen frowned seriously at the first Hokage, sighing. "I take it you don't know then? What a shame, he seemed like he was growing to like you two. I assumed either you would talk him out of it or go with him. I never even considered him going without speaking with you two." glancing at the couch where he saw Itachi and corrected. "Three."

Madara narrowed his eyes at the man responsible for his family's murder, asking "What do you mean, going? Where is my clansmen, Hiruzen?" not bothering with formalities because one, he disliked the man. Then two, he'd seen this kid when he was still a little genin.

Sighing the elderly man handed him a few pieces of paper. "I found these in my office paperwork this morning. One is a notice of leaving the village while the other is a notice of him leaving active duty. Both are completely detailed with no errors, so technically I had to accept them. Unless I wanted to count it as treason, which I don't feel a thirteen-year-old boy is guilty of."

Hashirama headed over, taking the papers from Hashirama to look over them. "They can't be his. They must be a forgery. Someone had to of abducted him or something." Hiruzen gave him a grim look, and it was then he noticed the chakra fingerprint at the bottom. "Someone must have forced him to write this! Sasuke is one of this village's best ninja, soon to be a chuunin, is getting the best ninja training available to him, and he has his brother back. He wouldn't leave."

Madara frowned a bit, looking unsure. Hashirama gave him a look as if demanding to know what his doubts were, so he obliged. "Well, if you think about it there were some signs he wasn't happy."

Hiruzen looked interested, though Neji looked ready to either punch something or go into a frustrated fit. Hashirama asked "What signs? He was happy! We trained, went of family picnics, made plans for the future, watched movies, all together. What makes you think he was unhappy?"

Taking a breath, Madara pointed out. "Well, for one Kakashi talked about how the Uchiha still receive a bit of discrimination today unless they're proved completely loyal to the village and very powerful. Two or three weeks ago when he threw a kunai at me when I came into his room an noticed he was crying. He's constantly been out on walks by himself. Then with Itachi's eyes and the stress of the exams...well I believe it's possible he was feeling unsatisfactory."

Seeing Hashirama's look of realization he continued, "I mean look at it like this. If the entire village is saying you have to be perfect to measure to the Uchiha name, plus I'm sure he felt some of that guilt himself for not being able to stop the massacre when he was a boy due to survivors guilt, then the old Uchiha idol returns, you'll probably feel small beside them."

Itachi was listening from the couch but made no movements to show he was awake. Madara added, "So you get frustrated. You finally let your emotions free in the solitude of your room but are interrupted by yet another Uchiha who is stronger than you. It would be easy to assume he was frustrated and thus threw a kunai to get me to go away. He accepted your comfort because you aren't an Uchiha."

Hashirama frowned. "So you think he didn't feel like he was living up to his bloodline's strength and was embarrassed about it? That's why he didn't go to you and not me either because he's still not used to having someone there for him."

Madara nodded. "His walks probably gave him a lot of time to think about this all. Plus on that first mission of his, he said the villager was mocking him and saying he would be like Itachi one day, killing everyone. Going to these exams and not knowing any of the answers, even if he wasn't meant to, was probably a shot to his pride as well. Then when we left to go after Itachi we forbid him from coming. He must have felt like we didn't trust his abilities. All this coming down on him in the last two months we've been here would take control of him. But where would he go?"

Hashirama frowned. "I'm not sure. But it's only been a few hours. If we go now maybe you can track his chakra. Shikamaru and Neji will be busy with the exams for a while yet, but when they're done maybe they will be willing to help. That Gaara child also offered assistance to Neji, so him as well. Kakashi might be willing to stay here and watch Itachi and Kisame while we're out."

Madara nodded in agreement, but Itachi's pained voice cut him off. Though, the pain in his voice was more from the aching in his heart rather than from his wounds. Indirectly, his brother was hurt because of him it seemed. "Madara is most likely correct." he coughed a bit due to his scratchy throat, Hashirama quickly moving to help him sit up.

The brunette gave him some water to soothe his throat, Itachi continuing after. "I heard him packing his things last night and asked what he was doing. He was leaving. He asked me to relay a message." he took a breath before continuing. "'I am not betraying the village. I love you all like family. And I will be back. Don't try to look for me.'"

Hiruzen looked baffled at the boy. "You just let him leave? You didn't even ask where he was going?" he demanded. Madara looked at Hiruzen with disbelief at his tone, since they could all hear how shamed Itachi was by his voice already.

Hashirama frowned, straightening and looking at the third. "You have nowhere to speak nor scold him. Itachi did what he thought was right for Sasuke. He's more than done his service to the village. If you even think about accusing or scolding him ever again, I'll end you myself." he threatened before turning to Itachi and lightly running his hair through the teen's hair. "It's alright Itachi, Madara and I know you had your reasons for not fighting against him leaving."

Madara had placed a hand on the teen's shoulder in comfort, noticing how his shame intensified when the third scolded him. Neither of the founders paid any attention to Hiruzen's startled look at being threatened. Itachi finally spoke, "I could barely move my jaw to speak last night. He was leaving with or without my support. I figure it was better for him to know we would be waiting for him without grudges when he returned." he was growing dizzy, leaning into Hashirama's touch. Spirits know he would have loved to know he had somewhere to go when the Akatsuki mission was done.

Oh yeah, he hadn't reported in the last week or so. He glanced at the place he heard Hiruzen's voice earlier, grateful for his ninja hearing. "The Akatsuki disbanded. Sort of. All the dangerous members were either kicked out or killed. Kakuzu and Hidan were kicked out, and I went out after them and took care of them. Kakuzu's hearts were all crushed and cast a genjutsu on Hidan before forcing him into a deep hole. He'll die soon of starvation."

He took a breath to steady his thoughts, and it hurt Hashirama and Madara how focused he was on the mission over his health. "I couldn't kill Zetsu because he just didn't die when I attacked, and he can go through walls so there isn't much point in trapping him. Tobi also got away, I tried to kill him but his Sharingan overpowered mine."

He looked visibly nervous as he spoke his next few words. "Pain and Konan have agreed to reform the Akatsuki and work with the nations for peace. Sasori and Deidara have as well. Then Kisame agreed to follow them as well."

Hiruzen frowned heavily but heeded Hashirama's warning. His voice was calm, rather than scolding. He was frustrated, but he couldn't risk his life. "What reasons do they have for siding with peace?"

Hiruzen was now sitting on the armchair near the door, and Hashirama had moved so he was behind Itachi with his arms wrapped around the younger. Madara was sitting in front of the two, and beside Kisame. Itachi explained, "When rumors came up of Madara and Hashirama's return, they questioned Tobi since he had been pretending to be Madara for years. Well, long story short Tobi and I started fighting. He was threatening Sasuke's life so I caught him off guard by lunging at him and strangling the man. Konan and Pain took me down to their office and my body panicked. I couldn't turn off my Sharingan. Pain said this was proof I was a spy, and I admitted it."

Unable to hold it in, Hiruzen looked at his long-time spy with shame. "So, not only did you admit your mission, you nearly killed Tobi but stopped because Konan and Pain asked you to. How loyal exactly are you to Konoha?"

Itachi now grew visibly upset as he burst in a rare surge of emotions, "I didn't- I did- I am loyal to Konoha! How could you think otherwise after everything I-" he panicked, knowing it would be easy for Hiruzen to just leave him as a missing ninja in the bingo book and no one would believe him otherwise. He didn't have his eyes either, giving him a sinking feeling of fear at not knowing if he could defend himself.

Hashirama could feel Itachi grow tense, his body going into a flight or fight response. But since he could do neither at the moment, his body was panicking. Madara stood, storming towards the man. "You have no right! Itachi gave up everything for this village, and by admitting it he earned the village two new allies. Konan and Pain have both sided with Itachi because of his pleading for peace. Sasori was only 19 when he joined the Akatsuki, barely an adult, and Deidara was only 13! They went through emotional trauma at a young age with no help from anyone. They can be redeemed. Then Kisame. Spirits, Kisame has shown more loyalty to Itachi than anyone else in the village alongside us. All of them will be pardoned, or I'll not hesitate to go after another Hokage's life. I won't hesitate with you either."

Hiruzen took a step back, feeling him grip his shoulder and push him against the wall. Damn it. Perhaps getting two god-like ninjas angry at him wasn't his best idea.


	31. Prodigy children are still children

Hashirama frowned at Hiruzen. He had been warned. Lifting a hand, the ninja watched as tree roots began listing from outside and drifting towards them. Hiruzen lifted a hand to fight, but it was too late as he was quickly covered head to toe in roots. Including his head. The only area free was a small hole at the bottom for breathing. His body was tightly restricted, but not enough to kill. "That is quite enough out of you." he narrowed his eyes.

Madara was silently glade Hashirama quieted him because he wasn't sure he would be able to resist slicing his throat if one more foul word left his mouth. He didn't imagine the village would take kindly to him killing there Hokage. Why? Uchiha double standards, that's why.

Itachi was quiet for a moment, head lowered. Logically he knew he'd done nothing wrong, but without one of his senses, he felt so on edge that all his emotions and senses were on edge. Including guilt. Which, he was feeling a lot of at the moment.

Now that he thought of it, he was awake for a few seconds. He could have yelled for one of them. He could have tried to talk Sasuke out of leaving. But he hadn't. What if Hashirama and Madara blamed him? It didn't seem like something they would do, but what if they did?

He was completely blind now, had no way to protect himself, and wasn't completely sure he could handle himself either. If Hashirama and Madara left him, he'd be dead within a month. He couldn't go out to get food. He couldn't make his way to the bath. He's probably hurt himself going up the stairs to his room!

Of course, Kisame was with him, but now that he was powerless, would Kisame kill him for being a burden? He had never hesitated to slice through his commands, but still. Itachi had always thought he was diffrent...or that he would never become a burden. He gripped on hand tightly onto Kisame's sleeping form, silently willing him not to leave. Madara noticed this and headed over. "Itachi, what's wrong? No one blames you for what happened. Missions go wrong all the time. This man is simply being a fool."

Slowly, hesitantly, Itachi reached his other hand out to touch Madara. First, he felt his face, so he lowered his hand to his shoulder, then down to his sleeve. Biting his lip, he gave a nervous look. One Hashirama and Madara rarely saw on the young teen. Itachi nibbled on his bottom lip, not sure if his request would be granted.

They needed to look for Sasuke, they were here to make sure Sasuke was on the right path. What Indra said was true, he would follow his brother through thick and thin. So really, in Itachi's eyes, that meant their only true mission was to watch for Sasuke then he would follow. In the farthest pit of his mind however, the area he saw as his greed, he wanted them to care about him too. They had shown it enough in the last two months, but he knew how far someone would go to fulfill a mission. Were they only acting considered about him and Sasuke because of their mission?

He honestly thought they cared for Sasuke, but for him, he wasn't sure. His father saw him as little more than a trophy child, while his mother was always too busy occupying herself with Sasuke. It was always Sasuke, he was always the one people saw as an actual human. Sasuke was always the one to be coddled by their mother or Shisui. Not that Itachi blamed him of course, his precious little brother was an angel which needed to be protected. He knew this from the moment he was born. But the fact remained. Itachi was supposed to be the fighter, the smart one, the prodigy. He was not to be hugged or shown affection. He was too mature for that, even at the young age of five.

He knew it was childish and that he was already 16, having ended tones of lives and proved he was strong enough to stand on his own. But for the first time, he wasn't sure if he could, and he wanted someone there for him. He wanted to be loved, not just a weapon as he had been since birth. First for war, then for his clan, and finally for his village. He just wanted to be cared for, even if it was only until he found his way around without eyes.

Madara and Hashirama didn't interrupt the teen, noticing how hard it was for him to speak. Finally, after a moment, he muttered out almost shamefully, "I don't- I can't-" he pressed his lips together to compose himself. "I know you have to look for Sasuke, but I don't think I can-" endure. "Manage this alone. Can't one of you stay-" stumbling over his words for the first time in forever. "Just until I can move around more or-"

He was cut off by Madara moving his hands up to run a hand through his hair. He was shut up immediately since Madara rarely showed much physical affection besides a few playful jabs or lose hugs. His face was reddened in embarrassment, not sure it was his place to ask for such a large request. Sasuke was the most important thing of course since he was the future of the clan. As far as Itachi was concerned, he had no future but to serve as a stepping stone for Sasuke anymore. Sasuke would live on and be the survivor he could never be.

Madara assured him, "Itachi, I'm not going anywhere. You're just as important as Sasuke. You both are important. I can go out with a search party soon to look for your little brother. For now, Hashirama and I will be staying right here with you. You have us both. Plus Kisame, Kakashi, Neji, and all your friends would surely be willing to stay and help you." glancing at Hashirama and Neji who both gave a nod to the man in agreement.

Itachi felt his face heat up at this, glad he had so many people in his life. He loved having them in his life, he just hadn't been sure the feeling was mutual. He hesitantly returned Madara's hug, feeling the older man's large muscles surround him. He spoke quietly, "I-" he started before clearing up his throat. "I want you. With me," he admitted, not wanting to be left to the others. He trusted them all with his life, but what he decided that night still applied. He should be dealt with only by another Uchiha. As it happened, Madara was the only Uchiha left in the village he trusted.

Madara looked a bit surprised at this, never having imagined Itachi would be the one to want his support. In the last few months, it had always been Sasuke who was looking over his shoulder for Madara's approval. Itachi always seemed more concerned with if he was doing the right thing, so he focused on what he thought was right or rarely Hashirama for reassurance of his choice. Madara set a hand on the younger Uchiha's shoulder, "I'll stay right here with you until you're ready. I promise." he assured him.

Itachi nodded a bit, allowing some of his nervousness to calm down. He was glad there would be someone with him, at least for a while. Hashirama sighed a bit. "Where could Sasuke have gone? He said he'd be back, but who knows if he's in danger with a departing like this. What if he's in danger? He's beyond powerful for his age...but it wouldn't hurt for him to ask for help from us. We're all very powerful and could most likely help him go up against whatever this is. Unless of course, he was feeling undermined as we talked about earlier. But where would he go then?"


	32. Rallying the troops

Neji thought for a moment before finally speaking. He had stayed quiet through the entire conversation of Sasuke leaving, but if he could offer any sort of help he would. "Well, there was that pink-haired girl." seeing all heads turn towards him, he explained, "When you all left to go looking for Itachi, he was angry afterward. He stormed out and said he wasn't helpless so I suppose it would make sense for him to of been feeling undermined as you said. I didn't think he should be alone at the moment so I followed just in case."

He glanced away, a bit guilty he hadn't told them about it sooner. "He was in the compound park, just staring forward for a few minutes. Then he reached out with his Chidori and...burned his skin off his arms. It looked like an oath of pain to me, just I'm not sure. He didn't even heal it either. Then some pink-haired girl showed up and they started arguing."

"Sasuke was yelling at her what he was doing was none of her business and she kept saying that where she's from they don't injure themselves purposely. Then they talked for a bit before leaving on a peaceful note. I couldn't hear what they were talking about because I didn't want to eavesdrop. I just wanted to make sure he didn't do anything stupid while in a blind fury. I'm sorry." he apologized, now wishing he had listened in on them more.

Hashirama shook his head back and forth at the teen. "Don't worry. It isn't your fault. You couldn't have known." laying a hand on his shoulder. "But we need to know more about what she looked like. Do you know what village she was from?"

Neji nodded a bit. "She's one of the girls from this new village, the Village Hidden in the Sound. No one knows much about it or even where it is. It just started up recently, or just showed itself recently. She was wearing their normal village clothing. A tunic with a yin-yang symbol, minus the yin. She was loud and foul-mouthed too, but besides that, I don't know how to describe her."

Itachi frowned a bit at this. "Sound Village?" the others glancing over at him. "I've heard about that place. I got a mission request once while in the Akatsuki. It involved me abducting young orphans from Suna and bringing them into the northern territory. The mission request was very undetailed, but I assumed kidnapping orphans never meant anything good for them so I refused at first." looking guilty. "But then Kakuzu said he'd handle it, and I knew if he did it the kids would probably be mistreated on the way there. So I took the mission." clenching his jaw. "I got there and they loaded them onto a wagon-like cattle. If Sasuke was talking to a Sound ninja, it can't be good."

Frowning at this, Hashirama spoke. "It's worth checking out. Once the chuunin exams are over, we'll go looking for him with any willing ninja." suddenly making a startling noise as he looked at Neji. "The exams will be starting soon, here, I'll take you over." he offered.

Neji didn't get much choice however as Hashirama lightly took his wrist and moved him towards the front door. Neji looked disappointed, "Can't we start looking for Sasuke now? What if he didn't agree and they were threatening him?" he worried.

Hashirama led him out the front door, an arm settled on the center of his back to rush him forward. "No, Itachi needs his eyes looked after for a few more days, and I don't trust anyone else in the village to work so close to his chakra nerves. Madara is poor at healing, so he can't be left with just him. Not to mention, Sasuke wouldn't want you to miss out on this chance to rank chuunin. They're only held once a year."

Neji looked unconvinced and pressed his lips together. He didn't want to make chuunin rank without Sasuke, they were supposed to move on together. Even if they weren't on the same team. Seeing the doubtful look in Neji's eyes, Hashirama sighed. "Look, Neji, I need you to ask the other genin teams for assistance anyway. I know your plan is pretty much ruined when it comes to exposing your clan's cruelty, but I have a plan of my own. Get to round three, show your skill, and I'll take care of the rest. We'll make sure Sasuke's safe, get you freed and make the announcement of the need for a new Hokage. Alright?"

He saw a hesitant nod and sighed in relief. He let go, watching as Neji nervously headed over to his team. Hashirama gave a light wave to the interested students, before heading out to the crowd of people watching.

TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTKTKTK

Neji headed over to his team, Gai quickly wrapping an arm around his young student. "Neji! You were almost late, but I'm glad to see through the power of youngth you have succeeded in finding us!" he cheered, Lee nodding along beside him.

Letting out a breath, the teen glanced at his sensei with a frown. "I'm only here because Lord First made me come," he muttered, Gai frowning a bit at his words. "Sasuke's left the village." he finally spoke, the others looking at him with mixed reactions. TenTen looked surprised, Lee looked upset, and Gai looked confused.

Neji glanced over at Sasuke's team, who were watching in the distance for their last team member. He frowned, "I guess...I should go tell them he isn't coming." he spoke guiltily. He hated to have to deliver this news.

TenTen waved her arms around in disbelief. "Wait, what? Why would he leave? How could the village let him leave? He just left without telling his teammates!?" she questioned in shock at what Sasuke had done. After all, he was always so proud and brave. Why would he leave?

Gai suggested, "I hope this doesn't have to do with the return of Madara and Itachi. Young Sasuke is such a soft-hearted boy at his core. Was it too much for him to handle?" he frowned.

Lee looked disappointed, "I was looking forward to facing off against Sasuke. Now I'll never even get to meet him. Even after all the great things you've said about him!" he frowned.

Shaking his head back and forth, Neji explained. "He left for reasons we aren't completely sure of yet. Itachi's been badly injured. He couldn't stop Sasuke from leaving, but Sasuke gave us a message through him. He said he would be back. But still...it isn't safe out there! We have reason to believe sound ninja have forced or manipulated him into leaving. We're planning an independent search party for the month-long break in between the exams." taking a breath, "I know you all didn't know him, but we need to find him. He's important to me, and a leaf ninja just likes us. Even if he quits."

Gai rested a hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry Neji. We'll all go out after the exams. I'm sure we'll be able to find him." he assured his student who looked beyond distressed. Asuma spoke from behind them.

"I wouldn't be talking about this so casually with so many ninjas from other countries around." taking a puff of his cigarette. "But Gai and Lord First are right. Exams only happen once a year. Sasuke wouldn't want you all to miss out on the chance to become a chuunin."

Shikamaru, who held a tight frown behind him, spoke lazily. "The exams are too much trouble. We should just go look for Sasuke, it'll be easier." though, if he was honest with himself, he was worried for his friend almost as much as Neji was.

Choji sighed, taking a bite from his bag of chips. "I don't see why we should go looking. He's always been a jerk." he pointed out. "He always thinks everyone else is below him, so I say we should let him take care of things on his own if he's so great."

That got him a heavy growl from an upset Ino. "We can't leave Sasuke! He's one of us and our teammate's friend. Don't you have any loyalty? Besides, he could be hurt, or starving, or might have gotten kidnapped by the sound!" she cried.

Hinata glanced over at them, having come over when she heard the commotion. She gulped before speaking up. "S-Sasuke isn't a jerk. He h-helped Neji get away from the compound. He never really spoke to me p-personally, but he seems like a good person."

Shino nodded a bit, following slowly. "This is true. Sasuke has an unfriendly personality, but he's never done anything to purposely cause other's pain. I believe we should go after him."

Kiba nodded "Yeah, Sasuke's a cool guy, we should go in after him!" he agreed, his crush on Hinata overweighing his annoyance of Sasuke.

A sigh came from behind them, and Kurenai agreed. "Sasuke's still a child, whether he acts like it or not. Leaving him to the wolves would be cruel." she agreed.

They all turned once they heard a few pairs of feet running over to them. They frowned. Kakashi looked them over, waving a hand lazily and snapping his book shut. His students, however, looked annoyed and worried. Kakashi asked, "Sorry to interrupt, but have you all seen Sasuke anywhere? He hasn't shown up and the exams are starting in ten or so minutes. I expected him to be the first one here."

This would be fun to explain.


	33. Lessons

Kakashi frowned at the words of the fellow sensei, almost unable to believe Sasuke would leave. Though, Neji did have a point as far as his motives went. Sakura had her hand lifted to her mouth, looking ready to cry, and Naruto looked pissed.

"That bastard just up and left us to run off with some girl he barely knows? What if he ends up getting himself killed? And he calls me a moron!" he fumed. "We have to go out and look for him as soon as possible! Itachi will just have to wait until afterward to be healed." he decided. "There have to be other medics."

Neji sighed a bit. "Naruto, he specifically asked for Madara to stay with him. It's not something you would understand, no matter how hard you try so just don't. Finding Sasuke is important but we can't throw away Itachi's mental health as a second base to cover."

Naruto frowned, looking confused. "But he's mainly healed, right? Madara would be more useful helping look for Sasuke. Itachi won't mind, he seems like a good guy from what I've heard. What do you mean I won't understand? I was alone too for even longer than he was, so I knew even better than him. Being alone isn't going to kill him like a ninja might Sasuke."

Kakashi rested a hand on his student's shoulder. "Naruto, it's more complicated than that. Itachi wouldn't stop Madara from leaving him, you're right. But this is more than what Itachi needs. It's about what he wants. You've gotten a fair amount of control in your life, specifically because you were alone. You know how you get frustrated when the Hokage or Iruka force you to apologize and act a certain way?"

Seeing his nod, Kakashi explained further. "Well, since the day he was born, Itachi has acted purely for the benefit of others. You might not know this, but he's been through a lot. For years he was told exactly how to act and look like as the heir to the Uchiha clan. He was told exactly what to do as a ninja of Konoha. Using the tons of information he had he had to make choices on what would be best for everyone. He had all eyes on him from the clan and the village. So he always knew his role for both. But within the last three or four years, he's had to choose between them. He had to choose his village or his clan."

Naruto looked confused, not seeing where he was going with this. "He had to consciously choose to kill everyone. He chose to kill his mother. He chose to kill his father. He chose to kill his lover and all his friends. He had to choose to make Sasuke live miserably for years. Even if the other choice was just as terrible, it doesn't make it any less painful. Itachi most likely feels guilty for his choices and as such is reaching out in the dark for a support line. Madara. It isn't about him being able to survive this. It's about him not having to. If Madara leaves him too, his mental health will only hurt more from it. Mentally wounded ninja never mean anything good."

Naruto seemed to understand a bit more now, so Kakashi finished off. "As far as you being along longer than him, that isn't truly the case either. Itachi has been alone since the day he was born. The only exception being Sasuke and two or so other Uchiha. Just because people surround you, applauding you with praise, doesn't mean you're not alone. Just like you never really had anyone to love you besides Iruka. Then he lost those three people. How would you feel if you lost Iruka three times over?"

The blonde looked down a bit, guilty for his misunderstanding. He knew it would hurt a lot to lose Iruka or Kakashi for that matter. He nodded a bit, finally understanding what he meant. "Terrible." he muttered before letting out a breath and speaking, "Alright, even without Madara we'll find Sasuke, I know we will."

Tenten blinked over at Naruto. "I'm surprised you're not more upset about not being able to take part in the exams. I know it must sting. Sorry." she spoke sheepishly. "The exams start at any moment now. We need to tell Anko so she can take you off the roster."

The others sighed with a nod, the three sensei heading over while the teens stayed back to make last-minute preparations and stretch.

Ibiki stood with Anko, glancing over the many contestants. Seeing Kakashi, Karunai, Gai, and Asuma heading over with grim expressions he frowned and stopped mid-conversation. Anko followed suit. "Is something wrong? Where's the Uchiha brat?" Anko asked.

Kakashi let out a breath. "My team will be withdrawing from the competition. Or rather, we can no longer participate. Sasuke has legally left the village as of early this morning." he admitted, knowing they both had a right to know since both had taught Sasuke.

Ibiki frowned heavily, crossing his arms. "The Uchiha left the village? As in Sasuke? Sasuke who spends at least ten percent of his day pouting at a worksheet?" he asked skeptically. Why would he leave the village?

Asuma sighed a bit and flicked his cigarette. "Yes, The Uchiha boy left. We have reason to believe he's found a village that can make him stronger, but we can't be sure since he left early this morning before anyone was up to stop him. We're planning to take time off active duty with our teams during the month in between exams, assuming they pass. We'll start looking around then."

Anko nodded in understanding. "Well, we can't leave the village since he's the only torture master in the village and I still have a lot to do for the third round of exams. But if there's anything within the village we can do, let us know."

Kakashi nodded "Of course. Thank you."

TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTKTKTK Hebikage

Sasuke walked behind Ukon, the others having departed into other areas of the village. He was quiet as he was lead into the large mansion looking building, which he now realized was the 'Kage Tower' sort of building.

Ukon pressed the doors open, Sasuke subconsciously straightening his back. Ukon leads him past the open area, nodding to the man sitting in the receptionist desk. Ukon leads him up a staircase and down many halls. The number of doors alone gave Sasuke a headache.

Ukon pressed a door open finally, one of the larger ones at the end of the hallway. It had the crest of a snake on it, but rather than the green you would expect it was pure white. How curious.

One he opened the door he was met with an odd sight. A rather tall man stood overtop a desk which was scattered with papers. His long black hair was draped over his shoulders, which were shaking a bit in annoyance.

He looked up and gave a sharp look to Ukon first before his snake-like eyes fell on Sasuke. His face immediately softened, and he stood straight. He asked calmly, "Your mission report, Ukon?"

Sasuke only then noticed Ukon had bowed deeply, pressing his forehead to the ground. Sasuke quickly moved to give a slight bow himself as Ukon spoke. "Orochimaru-Sama, this is Sasuke Uchiha. He was taking part in the chuunin exams and living with a reincarnated Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju. His elder brother was attacked and had his eyes stolen. Tayuya offered him a shot at joining the village when she noticed his want for power to prevent any further harm. We dropped out of the chuunin exams to return as quickly as we heard you called for us."

Orochimaru nodded a bit, frowning. Madara and Hashirama had been revived? The legends themselves were living with the last two Uchiha boys? He moved a hand up, motioning Sasuke forward after he spoke. "Very well. You are dismissed."

When Sasuke looked unsure about moving forward, the other giving off an aura which made his stomach do flips, Orochimaru spoke directly to him. "Come here, child."

Sasuke finally moved forward, a bit annoyed at being called a child. He heard the door shut loudly behind him, stiffening as Orochimaru reached up to grab his chin. The man moved his head back and forth as if inspecting him. The snake man hummed, "You're an Uchiha, so I presume that means you have the Sharingan?" despite knowing full well he did.

It took a moment for the words to leave his mouth, but finally, they did. "Yes. I do," he confirmed.

The snake sannin nodded a bit and finally let his face go. He circled the boy, inspecting him. "I see you have a sword. I'm sure it works well with the Sharingan. Hm. How long have you been practicing?"

The teen felt uncomfortable with the man's eyes on him but kept his head risen and proud, just as any Uchiha should. "Just over two months now," he answered honestly.

Orochimaru stopped behind him, tapping his head lightly with a thinking noise. "Hm. I presume Tayuya has told you the price for joining my village?" seeing the curt nod he frowned a bit. "My, my. Such poor manners. We'll have to work on those."

Sasuke glared a bit at that, and the man tsked. "Very well. I'll allow you to join the village. The only condition is simple. Your eyes are powerful, but taking them away would be such a waste. Only your body would be able to fully master them. So I'll let you keep them. In return, you must stay here for a total of three years and do as I say."

Looking suspicious, Sasuke asked, "What kind of things? Why three years?" not liking the way the man-made him feel with his sweet words.

Orochimaru smiled a bit at the boy. "You see, I have a boy here I need to be trained in the art of the Sharingan. His mother was half Uchiha, so that makes him one-fourth Uchiha. I'm sure there's a lot to Uchiha training I couldn't know, and his mother is long gone. So hows this. Instead of you learning from the normal village ninja, you can learn from me directly. Three years. It'll take me three to fully train you, and during that time you can train him."

Sasuke frowned. "Why don't you just train him yourself if you can train me? It won't take three years for me to teach him the Sharingan."

The man nodded a bit. "Yes, well you see, he has a disliking for me. Personal reasons and all. So I need someone else to teach through." shaking his head back and forth before pulling a scroll out of his desk. "Nowhere. If you agree, slice your palm and rub your hands together. I need a pair of bloodied handprints to make sure the contract is sealed."

Sasuke was about to say no when Orochimaru cut his hand, doing as he instructed Sasuke. The man pressed his hands to the paper and looked at Sasuke expectantly. Letting out a breath, the teen did as he was told. No going back now he supposed.


	34. Konji

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the darkest chapter in this fanfic, so be warned. Creepy Orochimaru at the start, nasty experimentation scene later on, and overall dark themes

Sasuke sighed a bit once they finished the paperwork part of the deal. It had taken nearly twenty minutes, but they were finally done. Or he thought until he heard the snake's voice. "Now, come here, little one," he commanded.

Sasuke stifled a groan and complied. All would be well soon. He felt the man rest his hands on either side of his face, mouth nearing his neck. Sasuke would have grimaced away if not for the firm hold Orochimaru had on him.

He felt his hot breath on his throat one minute, and the next the sharp pain of teeth pressing into him. His head reflexively jolted at the pain, hands forming into fists. "H-Hn.." he muttered in pain.

Orochimaru chuckled a bit, running his tongue softly over where he had bitten. Sasuke pushed back at that, an undignified growl leaving his lips. He felt Orochimaru let go of him, and he tumbled back in surprise.

Stumbling, he wasn't sure whether to get up into a respectable pose or to stay in his defensive one. Orochimaru chuckled at him, and he only rubbed his neck sorely. It fucking hurt. Orochimaru didn't offer any sort of apology or justification, instead continuing, "Now, this mark will work well for our training. So that I can...dicipline you at any time I wish."

Seeing Sasuke's scowl, he shook his head back and forth in amusement. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Sasuke my boy. Discipline is part of every ninja's training. Don't look so disappointed." before clapping his hands together.

"Let's get your measurements now. You can't be wearing such childish clothes if you are to be working under me." he lightly tugged at the long neck of Sasuke's shirt. "This will never do. You'll need more space to stretch your body out. It's very important."

Frowning a bit, Sasuke nodded. He liked his clothes, finding them to be comfortable and a nice reminder of where he came from. He supposed if he wanted this man's power though, he could deal with a small outfit change.

Orochimaru tapped the boy's head. "Again, with the manners my boy. When you are addressed, you should answer with words. Especially to your sensei. 'Orochimaru-Sama' will do fine for now. This will be your only warning. Understood?"

Sasuke was about to nod but caught himself. "Yes, Orochimaru-Sama." the words feeling uncomfortable as they rolled off his tongue. He hadn't used proper suffixes on a normal basis since the clan's massacre. He gulped this down however, figuring an outfit and speech change wasn't a lot in turn for power. Not to mention, he would get to meet another with the Uchiha blood in him.

Orochimaru smirked a bit at this, lifting up a tape measure from his drawer. He came over to Sasuke, tugging his shirt over his head then readjusting the rest of his clothing so it was out of the way. Sasuke pressed his lips together, holding his breath as the man placed the tape around his waist, up to his side, along his arms, down his legs, and over every inch of his body. He stayed quiet, watching the blacked haired man write things down on a clipboard.

The man lifted Sasuke's hair up, pulling it into a shaggy bun without much explanation, so Sasuke asked wearily, "What are you doing?" seeing Orochimaru's pointed glare he added quickly, "Orochimaru-Sama?"

He moved the hair down into a ponytail, frowning. "It takes practice to work efficiently with hair in your face. Not to mention, I don't want to look at a duck's rump every time I train you. It looks foolish. I would prefer it be cut off completely, but if you insist, you may have it in either a short ponytail or a bun." he decided. After all, he and his teammates had been made to keep their hair in ponytails for the beginning of their training under Hiruzen until they learned to control it.

Sasuke frowned deeply. He didn't want his hair cut off or pulled back, but it was a bit hard to argue and put up a good point when you were wearing next to nothing. "I-" he glanced away. "I would prefer to keep it in a short ponytail." adding quietly. "If that would be alright, Orochimaru-Sama."

Orochimaru nodded, pulling his leaf headband off and tossing it into a nearby trash bin. Sasuke looked up at him, looking startled and even a bit hurt. His headband! He had worked so hard for it, and suffered so much stress to get that! He knew realistically he couldn't wear it...but did he have to throw it away...?

Orochimaru rose a slender brow. "Something wrong, boy?" he questioned, seeing Sasuke's internal panic. He didn't honestly believe he would be allowed to keep the symbol of such a pitiful village in the sound, did he?

Sasuke glanced down a bit as Orochimaru lifted a new headband, one with a music note as the symbol. The teen muttered quietly, "No, Orochimaru-Sama." trying to keep the emotion out of his voice. He clenched his eyes briefly. This was for his team. This was for his true village. This was for the future people of the compound. It would all be worth it.

Seeming satisfied, the snake sannin nodded. "Alright. Get dressed and head to your room. Kabuto will lead you there. Your clothes will be brought to you shortly. You will be woken at precisely 3:00 each morning. You will have half an hour to eat before you are taken to me for training. We will train without breaks until 8:00 am. You will return to your room after this to practice your breathing and healing with Kabuto for two hours and take a shower. You will then be taken to Konji, your student, to train him in what you have learned that day. You will train until 2:00 pm, or 2:30 if you decide he has not earned his lunch. You may decide to bring your own in case he doesn't earn his so you will be well fed. Once his training ends, you will be escorted to the experimentation rooms where I will...enhance your powers using methods I have discovered show potential."

Sasuke's hands twitched at that, understanding the underlying text. He was going to be tested on. He assumed the man wouldn't do anything to kill him, after all, he was one of the only people who could train this 'Konji'. Orochimaru continued, "I will work on you until 5:00 pm, along with a few others in other rooms. So I'll not be there the entire time, but you must stay there the whole time. After this, you will be allowed two hours of free time. You are to be asleep by 7:00 pm."

Scrunching up his face, he asked, "Why 7:00 pm? The sun won't even be down by then." a small burning sensation on his throat made him think twice about his resistance. "M-Mmm..." he muttered, grabbing his throat as the burning enhanced. His insides turned, and he was barely able to gasp out, "O-Orochimaru-Sama.." whimpering as he noticed it took a moment for it to calm down.

His vision blurred for a moment, and Orochimaru held a look of impressment at the look on Sasuke's face. It seemed his seal did its job well. He had only activated it for about 6 seconds.

He let it go, and Sasuke kept his hand on his neck, almost like he was shirking back. 'Good', Orochimaru thought. He didn't need the boy to be so defiant. He was little more than a pawn, after all. "That will be all for now, Sasuke. It's already 8:30, so allow Kabuto to lead you to your room to practice your breathing with him. At 10:00, he will lead you to the training room where Konji will be waiting for you. You are not to go easy on him. Train him as you see fit, but if his progress is not to my standards, he and you will both be punished. The progress will be marked at the end of each month. Since I haven't trained you today, you may do what you wish. Out, now." he ended it off.

As he was speaking Sasuke had quickly slipped his clothes back on, giving a slight nod, "Yes, Orochimaru-Sama." he had spoken as soon as the man finished, not eager to get his mark reactivated. He knew it had only been a few seconds, but still, it felt agonizing. Like fire ants were biting and crawling across his neck as it burned.

He noticed a silver-haired man with large glasses rise from a chair on the side of the room, and flustered a bit, following him. He wore a headband, with a music note on it just as the one Orochimaru had forced on him. Sasuke was lead only a few doors down the hall, to a room which had the carving of an egg on it along with the other doors near it.

Kabuto opened his door, pressing on in. The room was nice. Its walls were a nice white color, making the room seem refreshing in comparison to the darkness outside. The candles in the lanterns were lit up brightly, keeping the room illuminated but warm. Too warm for Sasuke's liking. The room had a bedspread as you immediately walked in, colored a deep red with black lining.

A bit to the left was a leather couch, a Kunai target across from it, and a bookshelf at its side. In the bookshelf were many different chakra theories and ninja strategy books. Beside the shelf was a small bin of what appeared to be neatly stacked jutsu scrolls.

If you took a right turn past the bed, there was a small wall separating the living and sleeping area from the kitchen. In the kitchen, there were various ingredients, such as fresh veggies and fruits along with side fresh meats. There was little to no sugar besides natural, not that Sasuke would mind.

In the very far corner was a bathroom, which held the typical necessities. Overall, it was a nice little apartment. Sasuke took a quick shower, the allowed Kabuto to lead him over to the living room area, where Sasuke noticed a mat. Kabuto lifted Sasuke's shirt over his head, and Sasuke allowed him. He honestly felt like Kabuto was treating him like a toddler, though he supposed he preferred it to the way Orochimaru had eyed his chest as if it were the most interesting thing in the room.

Kabuto commanded, "Lay down on the mat. I'll show you how to do it properly." and Sasuke did as told, resisting rolling his eyes as Kabuto spoke. "You may call me Kabuto-San. I am Lord Orochimaru's head help, so keep this in mind."

Feeling Kabuto pressing down a bit on his chest with his foot when he didn't reply, Sasuke sent a dirty look, resisting only a bit to get the point across that he didn't agree, before finally speaking. "Fine. Kabuto-San," he spoke in annoyance to get the foot off his chest.

When Kabuto got off, the man knelt beside Sasuke. He placed a hand on Sasuke's chest and instructed, "Close your eyes and breath. Yes, like that." he spoke as Sasuke did as instructed. His breathing was already, nearly perfect for most ninja. Unfortunately for him, Kabuto was not most ninja when it came to the body.

He began slowly putting more and more pressure on his chest, Sasuke's breathes becoming deeper and more rigged when he pressed too hard. So he would back off until he was on the very edge of Sasuke's perfect breathing when he would begin to waver. The did this for a while, Kabuto slowly beginning to put more and more pressure on his chest as they practiced.

This went on for hours, Kabuto not interested in speaking to Sasuke since Orochimaru hadn't ordered him to gain any information from him. Sasuke didn't speak either, not liking Kabuto as of now.

By the time 10:00 had rolled around, his breathing was much smoother. Especially once he got over the odd feeling of the overly warm room. A man came in, and Sasuke rose along with Kabuto. The ninja tossed Sasuke the clothing, and Kabuto took that moment to take his leave. "Change, then go to the room just beside Lord Orochimaru on the right. That's where Konji will be. Tell him you're his new teacher, and he'll take you to the training grounds."

Once he was gone, Sasuke lifted the outfit up. He wasn't too upset with what he found. The outfit was long, black fabric going down to his thighs but opening down the middle to show a netted grey undershirt. There was a zipper, which when zipped came up to his neck much like his clan's normal clothes, but he assumed Orochimaru would make him keep it open while they were training so he could have the most flexibility. It was sleeveless too, though a pair of long dark fingerless gloves came with the outfit. They ran up to just above his elbows, and just under his shoulder muscles.

His lower half consisted of black stirrup leggings and matching sandals. A rusty blue pair of shorts which ran his knees came as well, the fabric tight but stretchy. He smiled a bit in satisfaction noticing the Uchiha symbol on the back. It was made so fast, and so nice too! He definitely was in a much better mood now.

He slipped it on, pulling his hair back into a short ponytail and scowling a bit in the bathroom mirror. His hair was not weird-looking. Hmp. He glanced at the time and panicked, realizing he had spent a solid twenty minutes figuring out his outfit and admiring it. He mentally swore- Kakashi's carelessness must be rubbing off on him.

Sasuke headed out of his room finally, keeping himself calm. He didn't want to look foolish or skitterish to his 'student'. It was such an odd concept, really, the fact that he now had a student. He was only thirteen himself, and still learning! A sensei was meant to teach their students how to deal with the emotional stress of being a ninja, to make sure they took care of themselves, and to make sure they were strong enough to survive, among other things. How would he be able to do this?

He knocked on the door he was instructed to, and out came a child. He looked to be about six, the boy having to look upwards a bit to see Sasuke's face. His eyes were a dark shade of yellow, almost brown, though he could see the yellow spots in his eyes from lack of exposer to sunlight. They looked naturally sharp, though the boy has gentle pupils which still shun with a child's brightness.

The boy came up to just barely Sasuke's chest, his long raven black hair thin and brittle. His skin was a pasty white, making Sasuke sure he had some sort of Vitamin D deficiency. He frowned a bit- that couldn't be good for the boy, nor his Sharingan. He would have to see about getting him outside eventually. You would think with a scientist like Orochimaru around this wouldn't be a problem, but even replacement vitamins could only do so much. It was odd, though, that the man wouldn't have the boy brought outside at least a few hours a week to keep him healthy if he was so important.

Given it could be helped fairly easily with a few months of sunlight, but it had to be painful for the little one as time stretched on. He wore a small purple kimono with black lining, a netted shirt, and leggings underneath. The only jewelry he wore was a plain black stringed necklace, with a blue crystal and two silver bells on the center. Once his eyes met Sasuke's, they quickly swooped down, hands folding in front of him and offering a polite bow.

Sasuke forced himself to stay calm. It was odd, being given such a polite response after years of people being just as rude to him as he was to them, but he put this aside. He greeted the boy, "Hello, you must be Konji. I'm Sasuke Uchiha, your new sensei. You can just call me Sensei or just Sasuke is fine if you'd like. I will be with you every day from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Can you show me to the training ground, so we can get started?"

For a split moment, the boy's eyes flickered with nervous interest as he nodded a bit. "Yes, Sensei." his voice low and gentle. His finger's pressed together to keep himself calm, before stepping out into the hallway with Sasuke. His head remained down as they walked, the boy only walking forward as much as was necessary to lead him. They left the building and headed towards one of the large doors- the one for jutsu.

Once they entered, he noticed it lead into a large room, a multi-tier library with scrolls of jutsu, chakra, and all sorts of things covering the walls. Along the walls and between the many bookshelves were more doors. Each had different symbols on them as well- Taijutsu, ninjutsu, genjutsu, bukijutsu, fuinjutsu, juinjutsu, kenjutsu, kinjutsu, ninshu, senjutsu, and hundreds of other subcategories. Konji stopped in front of a door which had the symbols for the three main types on it, in other words, the training room.

As the door opened Sasuke found himself in a room which already held two people battling it out- Tayuya and Ukon. They stopped once they saw Sasuke enter, heading over to him. Tayuya slapped his back in greeting, laughing loudly. "Orochimaru-Sama already has you busy, eh? Got rid of the duck ass too, I see," she smirked, laying a hand on his head to prove her point.

Sasuke scowled, swatting her hand away quickly and glaring at her. His hair did not look like a duck's ass- that's ridiculous! Ukon shook his head back and forth, glancing down at Konji. "He has you training Konji, eh? Good luck with that one. Goes through sensei faster than you can blink." he sighed a bit, plopping a hand on the child's head, who glanced away shamefully while the older spoke. "He might be our great leader's son, but it's hard to argue the fact he has next to no natural ninja abilities." he chuckled carelessly.

He didn't know why, but he felt a sense of annoyance as Ukon spoke about Konji. "Yes, well, I don't know what his skill levels are now." he agreed, "But I'm about to find out. Even if he doesn't have natural ninja abilities, they can always be trained up." he defended, though Ukon only waved him off as he headed out with Tayuya, offering a 'good luck'.

As they left, Sasuke waved the boy towards the training area, motioning him to sit down beside him. Sasuke sat down as well. "Don't worry about them. We'll have you in ninja shape in no time," he assured the boy, who only nervously fiddled with his sleeves in response. He sighed a bit. "Look, it isn't your fault if you don't have natural ninja abilities. If you have little physical strength, we'll focus on long-range attacks. If you don't have much luck with mind trick ninjutsu, we'll focus on physical attacks. You don't even need chakra to be a great ninja. In my old village, there was a boy who couldn't use ninjutsu or genjutsu. He relied only on the strength he got through endurance and practice. He could go head to head with many ninjas and was one of the strongest genins in our village. So if he can do it, I'm sure you can."

Though, Sasuke doubted he would be anywhere near as good of a teacher as Gai was. He let out a silent breath as he noticed the boy relax a bit, relieved at the fact his new sensei seemed to have much more patience than his last ones. "Thank you, Sensei." he murmured, answering just as he had always been taught to do when addressed.

Sasuke smiled a bit and brought in a breath. He wished he had been thinking about how he would be teaching the younger one when he was doing his breathing exercises, but it was a bit hard with focusing so much on his breathing. He would have to try harder tomorrow.

Sasuke decided he should start by getting to know the boy, just as Kakashi had done with their team. "Alright. I'm Sasuke Uchiha, as I said. I grew up in the Uchiha clan until it went nearly extinct. I lived on my own in the compound until I was 13. Then Madara and Hashirama came back to life to watch over me and my older brother, who had run away after the clan's destruction. My village was The Village Hidden in the Leaves. I became a genin barely a few months ago. I left and came here seeking the power I need to protect the ones I care for."

He was a bit uncomfortable speaking of the Uchiha massacre, but he needed the boy to know he was at least somewhat qualified to teach him. "I developed the Sharingan when I was young, but only recently realized I had to after it reawakened in a mission. I dislike it when people give up. It's a poor show of character. If you want something, you should go get it. I also dislike sweets. I enjoy taking walks, training, and working towards the future. My favorite food is tomato."

Sasuke smiled a bit as he spoke with slight pride. "As far as my combat training goes, I was the second-born son of the Uchiha clan's leader and graduated at the top of my academy class along with another boy. I received training from my elder brother and elder cousin, the two prodigies of the Uchiha clan. I received sword training under Kisame, one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Hidden Mist. I was also trained in swordsmanship by Anko, one of the village's Jonin. I was sometimes left with the torture specialist of our village to learn strategy, so I have a good idea of how the mind and body work. I was trained in chakra by Kakashi the Copy Ninja. I was trained in healing by Hashirama, and finally in Genjutsu by my ancestor Madara Uchiha. I worked in a weapon's shop so I know my way around weapons as well."

Konji looked somewhere between admiring and nervous now. "My teammate was the vessel to the nine tails beast and a friend of mine held the one tails so I have experience with them." he finished, realizing now how much he really knew. Sasuke's gratitude for his many teachers swelled inside him, relaxing a bit. He could do this. He had many great mentors to think back on if he needed help. "Now, why don't you tell me about yourself." he encouraged.

Konji took a deep breath before speaking. "I'm Konji Senju. Orochimaru-Sama is my father, and I never got to know my mother as she left pretty much right after I was born. She left me this necklace before she did. I know she was half Uchiha because my father said my grandparents on her side were from an arranged marriage. My grandmother was a pure Senju and my grandfather was a pure Uchiha. They married in an attempt to calm the clan's long-lasting fight. It didn't work out and she just stayed with the Senju clan since she apparently looked a lot like a typical Senju. She didn't find out about the Uchiha half of her until much later in her life."

The boy squirmed a bit, clearly nervous. "I have a lot of chakra because of my Senju parentage and Orochimaru-Sama's large chakra reserves. I also have miscellaneous DNA samples in me. Orochimaru-Sama wanted my reserves even larger so he inserted DNA from tailed beasts and the First Hokage's cells. Unfortunately, he did this too much so now I can't control it at all. I've never had good chakra control though. It lashes out and hurts people when I train so that's why I just don't use chakra when I train. It's easier for people to think I just don't have any than to risk killing them..." the boy trailed off awkwardly.

Sasuke nodded in understanding. "Don't worry. We'll get it under control so you'll know how to use it. Are there any other side effects to your large chakra reserves?" he asked, holding back his anger that Orochimaru apparently experimented on young children, let alone his own son. Plus the fact the boy knew so much about his parentage but not his actual mother's name- it was obvious Orochimaru must know.

Konji luckily distracted him before he could get too focused on this. "Yeah...when I try to let out more than a little bit of chakra it comes out too much at once. One of my old sensei said it was like I was trying to squeeze a lemon into a fruit funnel. You have to squeeze the juice out. I just...can't get the juice without the lemon exploding. Or in this case my bones. So in other words, if I use chakra my body can't handle it and my bones break wherever I was trying to let out chakra."

Sasuke frowned a bit but nodded. They would definitely need to work on that. "Alright. How are you in taijutsu then? What do you dislike, and what do you like? Do you have any goals for the future? Ah, also, have you unlocked your Sharingan?"

The boy quickly looked embarrassed. "I'm well trained in taijutsu, but I haven't got my Sharingan. I'm...not sure I will ever. Maybe I just don't have the genes for it." he admitted. "I've seen all sorts of terrible things. I see people getting experimented on, dying, being punished with the curse seal." he bit his cheek shamefully. "I feel bad for them but nothing activates it no matter how much I focus. I don't want them to suffer-! Really, I don't-! I just...can't activate it."

Sasuke laid a hand on the boy's shoulder. "It's very possible you won't activate the Sharingan, Konji. You're only a small part Uchiha, and not all half-blooded Uchiha get it even. But even if you do, the fact you're not having yours activate when you see such things isn't surprising. You've been raised here your entire life, I take it?" seeing the boy nod slowly he assured him, "So that means your body is just used to it. Seeing complete strangers being killed or hurt won't activate it. It's a common misunderstanding."

Seeing Konji's confusion, he explained further. "The Sharingan is often called the eye which reflects the heart. This is because it only activates when someone close to the Uchiha's heart is affected. This is usually a negative emotion due to the Uchiha curse of hatred, such as seeing a loved one killed or hurt. Though it can also be from a positive emotion, such as the desire to protect a loved one. When one of these things happen a special form of chakra is released which affects the eyes, changing them into the Sharingan. So it takes more than just seeing suffering to activate it. The person must be close to your heart. Do you have anyone like this?"

Konji glanced away, shaking his head back and forth slightly. "I don't really leave my room much besides when I have to. A lot of the villagers are really powerful. So seeing someone who doesn't have a lot of power getting away with things Orochimaru-Sama would have killed them for makes them angry." hesitating for a moment before asking, "What's the Curse of Hatred?"

Sasuke smiled weakly at this. "Uchiha feel a lot of love. They feel a lot of emotions. More so than most people, especially ninja. So when an Uchiha rejects their emotions, such as their natural love for others in order for them to cope with the loss of a loved one, they're shrouded in darkness. They become...numb. They shut down their learned emotions such as love, guilt, and shame. This leaves them with only their base emotions. Anger, sadness, fear, and happiness. Since they don't have very much guilt or shame, they do what they find necessary to bring themselves happiness. Since they can't feel love as strongly anymore, they do two things. Either try beyond all else to regain love or plunge into sadness, fear, and anger to ease their aching hearts. In other words, it's when an Uchiha loses control of their emotions and end up drowning in them. Normally around the time of the Sharingan activation. You must try above all else not to fall into this curse. It brings nothing but pain."

Nodding a bit, Konji spoke, "I think I see, Sensei. I guess Orochimaru-Sama must have been wrong about the Uchiha then. He said I wasn't supposed to be so emotional because Uchiha isn't like that." he bit his lip.

Sasuke nodded a bit. "People like to assume." he sighed, before smiling a bit. "You never answered my other questions though, Konji."

The boy blushed a bit, head lowering in apologies. "Gomen." he apologized, before speaking. "I like reading the books from the library, cooking, and sweets." he smiled sheepishly. "I don't really like other people. Especially not Kabuto. He's mean." he scrunched his face up a bit. "I don't like it when Orochimaru-Sama tries to train me. Or when he tries to experiment on me." he glanced away. "I don't usually like training," he admitted, unsure if he should. But his new sensei seemed nice enough, right?

Sasuke nodded a bit, asking in a surprisingly gentle voice, "Your father mentioned you disliked him, and Kabuto does seem a bit arrogant from what I've seen thus far. How about you tell me what you dislike about training so that I can try to help you with it. It won't do much good if it mentally drains you every day."

Konji lightly tugged on his sleeves, head down as he spoke. "Well, it's really hard to explain. I know I have to get hurt sometimes to get stronger, but sometimes it's just a lot. There's just such high marks Orochimaru-Sama wants at the end of each month that it's impossible to do. Then I fail and whatever sensei I have is hurt or killed if they do too bad, and I get punished. Then if they aren't killed they get mad at me- but I do try- I just-" the six-year-old looked ready to burst into tears, and Sasuke tried to fix it before that happened.

Spirits knew Sasuke was bad at dealing with emotional children. "Don't worry, I know it can be hard to move forward without a power everyone things you should have. I got my Sharingan much later than most in our clan so I understand. You can only go so far sometimes without help. But that's why I'm here. I'm going to help you, not hurt you. If I do hurt you, I apologize in advance. This is new to me. I've never taught anyone before. I'll do my best though, and that's all I can ask of you. Alright? Tell me, what's your biggest issue with training."

Rubbing his watered eyes against his sleeve, Konji nodded a bit in understanding. "O-Oh. I see. I...well..." looking away in embarrassment. "I know I have all this powerful blood and all these enhancements. I just- I don't want to hurt anyone. I don't want to be like him. I know I shouldn't and it doesn't make sense. I've always been taught to work for the greater good, that lives are expendable. But they cry. Just like me when I'm upset. The experimentations cry." he muttered out his confession.

His sensei nodded a bit in understanding, reaching over to lightly rub his back, though a bit awkwardly. "It's alright. You're right. Experimenting on other human beings is wrong, wasting unwilling lives. They do feel just like you and I. You're a very bright child to be able to understand this." it was odd, Sasuke noted, how fast he fell into the role of sensei for this boy. But then, he supposed he had a lot of good models to look back on. "You don't have to be like him."

Sasuke was surprised when Konji scooted over, nuzzling his face under Sasuke's right arm as if asking subconsciously for protection. He also found himself easily wrapping an arm around the boy as he asked quietly, "If I become a ninja I'll hurt other people, but if I don't then other people get hurt because I'm still unskilled." his small voice muffled as he spoke in an act of childishness. "I'm confused."

The older smiled bitterly sweet, patting his shoulder. "We all get confused sometimes." like right now when Sasuke was wondering what the hell he got himself into. Experiments. Lifestyle changes. Being a sensei. Watching a quarter breed Uchiha breaking down within the first day after clearly never having any emotional support in his life. Where were Madara and Hashirama when you needed them? Even Itachi? Oh, right, they were probably in the leaf village where he had run away from. Life was confusing. Ah, wait, Itachi. That was it. "You don't have to hurt others if you become a ninja. You can protect them from people like Orochimaru-Sama. That's what my elder brother has always done."

The boy lifted his head up, clearly thinking over this for a moment. "So...I can use ninja powers to help people? If I try really extra hard to control my chakra?" seeing Sasuke's nod, the boy thought for a moment before asking, "I can maybe even use it to get out of here? Sometimes I hear people talking. About the surface. It sounds real pretty up there."

Sasuke nodded, quirking a brow. "You've really never been above ground?" seeing his shake of the head no, Sasuke noted, "That's probably one of the factors in your bones breaking, along with chakra overload from natural and too many experiments. You need real sunlight. Artificial and Vitamin D from plants can only take you so far. Your bones are probably frail. Why aren't you taken outside more often? Surely Orochimaru-Sama of all people knows you need it?"

The boy crossed his arms a bit, seemingly gotten over his initial politeness slash fear around his new sensei. None of his old sensei would dare to speak against Kabuto, let alone Orochimaru so bluntly. He also seemed nice enough to the six-year-old. "Orochimaru-Sama knows I'll bolt the moment I step out of the hideout. So he makes me stay in."

Sasuke raised a brow. "You know, I might be able to convince him to let you out. I'll probably have to, actually. If you do have the Sharingan, it won't do you much good if you have so little vitamin D you become blind."

The boy's eyes flashed with fear. "Blind? I don't want to be blind. Then I won't be able to see anything." he scowled. "I want out..." he muttered more poutily now than anything. He was quiet for a moment before asking hesitantly, "Do you think, if I'm really good, you could ask Orochimaru-Sama if you could take me outside? I'd really like to see it. I won't run away." he promised.

Sasuke gave the boy's head a light pat, nodding a bit. "I'll see what I can do, l promise. We should wait a few more days though, so he can see the progress you're making." seeing his doubtful look suddenly appear, Sasuke waved it off and ruffled his long hair a bit. "Hey now, you got this. Don't worry. Remember what I said. If you want something, you have to go get it. So let's get it." she encouraged the child who smiled a bit at the affectionate action.

They were soon heading off, it is just barely 2:00 pm. "Come on, kid, let's go get some lunch." he offered, "How about you show me your favorite place for lunch and I'll buy us some. I packed more than enough money with me to last."

Konji smiled shyly, "Can we get some curry? I know I really good curry shop, I mean, if you like curry! It's my favorite food." he explained, waddling beside Sasuke and holding onto the side of his shirt with excited eyes.

The teen nodded a bit, chuckling. "Alright. We'll get some curry. You lead the way." he agreed. He felt an odd spark of joy in him whenever he saw the seemingly timid and nervous boy smile. It was nice, but, it also made him miss Madara and Hashirama when he thought about it. He hoped they were doing well, and that they would get the message he left for Itachi.

Sasuke had been so caught up in making sure he didn't say anything wrong to the boy to hurt him, he had been nearly completely distracted from the aching of being without his elder brother and the pair who seemed like parents to him now. He also felt a certain ache for Neji. He had sworn with the other they would climb the ranks together. But now, he wouldn't see him for at least three years?

Three years was so long...what if Madara and Hashirama decided they didn't care for him while he was away? What if Itachi realized Kisame was enough? What if Neji forgot about him? What if his team's replacement really replaced him? Would they even be able to recognize him when he returned? Would they want to?

He was pulled from his thoughts as he heard Konji speak. "Here we are, Curry Castle. It's so good, Sensei, I'm sure you'll like it," he assured the older, though seemed a bit shy about it.

Sasuke nodded a bit, smiling thinly at the little boy. "I'm sure I will." he agreed as they headed into the shop which looked a little too much like the ramen shop for his comfort. It was practically the same, besides its color themeing a calm white and being much calmer. That, and the cook seemed to be using a boil release to have the food done practically the minute they ordered, and just right. Huh, Naruto would love his ramen to be done that fast.

They both ate rather quickly, enjoying the meal together, at least for the moment. Konji glanced up at his sensei, a look of guilt crossing his face. "We didn't train today. I'm sorry, I didn't mean for my questions to distract you, sensei." he apologized sincerely.

Sasuke smiled thinly at the boy. "It's alright. We got a lot done today," he assured Konji. Seeing his doubtful look, he explained, "Mental training. You can't be a good ninja without knowing where your morals are as well as who you are. Mental health is just as important for a ninja as physical health."

Konji nodded in understanding. "Mental health is important. Got it." he smiled up at the older ninja. The pale boy handed the owner his bowl back with a bow as Sasuke paid for it, and soon the two were heading out. Sasuke walked with the boy back to his room, not wanting to send the boy on his way. Even if it was his village, he didn't feel like a six-year-old should be heading home, unwilling to defend himself if need be. He said some villagers became upset at him 'favoritism', so he didn't know if they would try to hurt the boy.

Once he was dropped off in his room, the child looking much less nervous, Sasuke let out a breath. Now it was his turn to be nervous, walking to the experimentation room. He pressed the door open and was met with many eyes on him. There was a line of people up to a counter, Kabuto handing each person a bag filled with medication. They would be injecting the medications and reporting the results themselves.

Sasuke, on the other hand, didn't seem to have that leisure. Kabuto saw Sasuke and led him towards the back, away from prying eyes, and straight to Orochimaru. The man was now wearing a different outfit, one which mimicked an apron if not for the fact it was protecting from blood splatters rather than baking materials.

-Experimentation Scene Start-

Seeing Sasuke, Orochimaru waved him over while Kabuto headed away. "Sasuke, sweet boy, come. We must begin," he ordered. Sasuke was told to disrobe, and they began. Orochimaru took his weight, height, blood pressure, nature types, pulse, among other things. Orochimaru would hold things up to him, such as an otoscope pressing to his ears, or an ophthalmoscope to his eyes. Which, honestly, earned Orochimaru a roll of the eyes from Sasuke.

At times Orochimaru would speak, but not to Sasuke. It was always to the girl with red hair who dutifully copied his words onto a piece of paper. It was as though he was looking down at Sasuke, but seeing only a test subject. "5 foot tall. 93 Pounds. Blood pressure five marks too low. Chakra natures include lighting, fire, wind, earth, water, and yin. Affinity for fire, but seems to use lightning just as often."

The man had him lay down on a cold steel autopsy table, much to his discomfort. He felt cool hands slide over him taking samples of blood, plucking a few hairs from his head, collecting swabs of his saliva, taking fingerprints, tongue prints, nail trimmings, cutting pieces of skin from his body, and so much more. It seemed the man was taking the chance to get any bit of DNA he could from Sasuke.

Sasuke was still at first when the needle pulled blood from his arm. After all, he'd gotten shots before, no big deal. He only squirmed lightly, the Haku incident long lasting in his mind. When he felt tweezers pull ten or so hairs from his head, he grimaced at the first one but quickly grew used to it. It was just a sharp jab to the scalp, he could handle it. He scowled a bit when he felt a cotton swab go into his mouth, the item being uncomfortable but besides that not doing much harm.

When his hands were taken and pressed into some sort of dark power, before touching a piece of paper firmly, he allowed it. His fingers were wiped off with alcohol wipes anyway. The dark paper which was pressed to his tongue tasted chalky and nasty, but once it was pulled away at least it was done. He sat still as his long nails were all cut evenly and set to the side.

The first time he really got on guard was when the small surgical knife came out. Orochimaru didn't bother numbing the area, instead reaching his gloved hand out to flatten the skin on his thigh. It was held in place, so when the knife pressed to Sasuke's flesh it slides smoothly through it. The teen grimaced in pain, reflexively grabbing onto the sides of the table in pain. His eyes clenched as a knife slide three inches down, three to the left, then doubled over making a perfect square. Orochimaru used some sort of metal object to pull it up, they looked like tweezers, but Sasuke couldn't be sure since his vision was blurred.

He half wanted to see, but he half wanted to keep his eyes clenched shut. He felt a hand running through his hair, and looked up at the red-headed girl. She looked pitying, and Sasuke realized he had begun shaking like a leaf. But then, to be fair, that was quite a bit of flesh to lose so suddenly. He gritted his teeth, glancing away from the girl with annoyance. He didn't need her pity. He was fine.

A bit of alcohol was places over the wound to keep it uninfected, and Sasuke bit his lip. Fuck. Alcohol straight on freshly torn leg muscles felt like hell. Kabuto came in soon enough, healing the boy's leg. Sasuke watched as the hole disappeared, and noted Kabuto's healing was almost as good as Hashiramas. He watched as each of these items was placed on a glass dish tray beside him, quickly being sealed up and labeled by the girl with red hair off to the side.

-Experimentation scene ends-

After hours of Orochimaru taking samples of his DNA in every way imaginable, along with the man switching off to other rooms, Sasuke was let free for his free time. He had time to explore the town, meet with others, go check out the village state to see who all was living here, test the village boundaries, and do pretty much anything he wanted. But above all else, he had the chance to get two extra hours of rest.

He headed back to his apartment, quickly entering and heading to take a shower. He knew he had already taken one, but he felt like he needed another. His muscles were sore despite the fact he hadn't actually trained any today, so he knew tomorrow would be hard. Hopefully, he reasoned, he was just upset over the emotional stress of it all. Sasuke had laid his bag down on the bed earlier, and now he had to set things up.

He took the photo albums he had brought from his bag and placed them hidden behind the many rows of books on the shelf. He put the photo of his team on his nightstand, knowing it would help get him motivated to get moving in the morning. The clothes he had brought weren't any good to him now, but he figured it wouldn't hurt to have them anyway, so he folded them and put them on top of the shelf along with a few other pairs of clothes Orochimaru had supplied. The new clothes all looked identical.

Finally, he sat his kunai set up on his end table as well. He figured he should bring them tomorrow, along with his sword. His explosive tags were piled up on the shelf over top his bed, along with his senbon and other smaller weapons. His medical supplies were in the end table. There. That would do nicely.

The teen flopped into the bed after throwing his clothes into a basket to do later. He knew he had fucked up. This village wasn't anything like he thought. The leader did human experiments! Even on his son! The people were all so cold, from what he'd seen. Konji had spoken of seeing death and torture. Were there other children in the village suffering through this? Did they at least have parents or others for emotional support? On one hand, Sasuke wasn't sure he could handle emotionally supporting more than Konji. On another, he couldn't just let them suffer.

Sasuke let out a breath. He needed to focus on his mental state first like he had told Konji, it was important. Before he could help anyone else he needed to get himself arranged. He wouldn't leave them out to dry though- soon enough, he would at least get a better look around the village to see all its dark corners. He knew then and there, he needed to bring this place down. He couldn't leave after he got his power and abandon these people since some looked beyond miserable. Did they all even want to be here?

Clenching his eyes shut, Sasuke decided. If Orochimaru was as bad as he had seemed today, and if the village really was this cruel, he needed to kill the man. For the safety of the children and other innocence. For now, however, he rested. After all, he had three years.


	35. The Compound

The second week of the exams was over and done with, and all of the rookie genin from Konoha had passed. Neji had taken the bittersweet victory but was more glad he could go out looking for Sasuke soon. He felt a bit odd now that Sasuke was nowhere to be seen, but he was staying at his house still. He was slowly getting closer to Hashirama, the man reminding him of his father to some extent.

Speaking of his family, Neji's uncle had shown up to the house personally, all but demanding he come home. Neji had thankfully been saved the humility of trying to ease his uncles firm demands when Madara had stepped in. The man had made it clear that Neji was to stay until he wished to leave, and honestly if Madara had his way it wouldn't be for quite a while. They might have been sent down to watch Sasuke and Itachi, but it seemed both were quickly growing used to the parental role to every teen or child in need. Which was how they ended up with Hinata on their hands.

She had come to the house, crying heavily. Most of the Hyuuga who had come to the house was either quiet but threatening or loud and overly demanding. She was neither. When the door opened she had blinked up at the one who had answered- Itachi. His eyes were wrapped in white bandages, so he couldn't see her. He could hear her though. His other senses had gotten even better, and he knew what he heard distinctly as crying. "Hello. Is something the matter?" his chilly calm voice had asked.

"I w-was just l-looking for N-Neji-Nii-San.," she spoke quietly. Itachi had been silent for a moment before allowing her in. He had brought her to the kitchen table and made both of them tea perfectly despite his loss of eyes. He was already learning to live without them with the help of Madara and Hashirama. Not wanting to seem rude when he passed her a cup, she gulped. "Thank you. Y-You, do it well, without eyes. I-I mean not to say- I just know it can be difficult to work without a-advanced eyes when you're used to them." she fumbled, remembering the time she'd barely been able to make tea and Neji had helped her from the shadows out of guilt.

Itachi gave a light smile. "I understand what you're saying." he silenced her, taking a long quiet sip of his tea before asking, "Neji never told me he had a younger sister. Why are you crying?" he asked lightly since the Hyuuga had said he was an only child.

Blushing a bit, Hinata explained, "W-Well. I'm not really his little sister. I'm Hinata Hyuuga. He's my older cousin. Our fathers were just twins so...well...we used to get confused when we were kids and just kind of ended up calling both of them father for a long time. Then as we got older Neji came to live closer in the compound to us so he was like a brother anyway." she flustered, realizing she had rambled a bit. "S-So, it just kind of stook I guess. I was crying because...well...I really shouldn't say. I just came knowing this was were Neji had been staying. Just...something happened at the compound and he'll fix it."

Tilting his head, Itachi's charisma kicked in. Now he was curious. "Neji said he was charged with being you and a girl named Hanabi's bodyguard. He seems to dislike the spot. He said the main house is cruel to him. I'm assuming your main house. He's living here now, unbound by his duties. What reason would he had to help you still?"

He was pushing, he knew that, but he didn't care either. Hinata bit her lip before speaking. "I was never cruel to Neji. He's like an older brother to me and Hanabi." she admitted, "We are in the main house, or father's the head of the clan, but I would never agree to something as hellish as the curse seal!" she spoke with frustration, wiping her eyes. A door had opened, Neji and Hashirama returning from shopping.

Neji blinked a bit at his cousin as she darted over, holding onto his left arm. She looked heart broken, and tired, Hashirama noticed. Neji sighed a bit, looking twice as tired. It seemed like merely seeing Hinata emotionally stressed had piled onto Neji. He reached over, lightly rubbing the back of her short hair. "Hinata. What's wrong? You've been crying." he asked.

Hinata had pulled him away from the strangers, and told him. Told him of how it had finally been legalized. Of how she was officially not in the main house. Of how her father had disowned her in favor of Hanabi. She had gone into a new overload, tears sprouting back up. "I don't want to get a curse seal Neji. You can't let them give it to me," she muttered, finding herself nuzzled into his chest.

Neji was at a loss. On the one hand, Hinata was too sweet. She'd never survive to be a branch member. On the other, the main family had caused him a lot of suffering...

He quickly shook this thought away. They needed to come up with a plan to get her safe. Where could she stay? Here? But he didn't think it was his place to offer. Luckily, Hashirama found himself listening in along with Itachi. It wasn't too hard, both having great hearing and all. Hashirama pressed the door open gently after a few moments of sobbing. He saw Neji sitting on Sasuke's bed looking conflicted, and Hinata somehow curled completely up into his lap.

Hashirama slowly walked over, crouching beside her and him. He put a hand on the front of her head, pushing her hair out of her eyes. "It's alright, you don't have to get the curse mark. You can stay here." seeing Neji's unsure look, he smiled. "Sasuke had plans to turn this place into a haven for people with nowhere to go. He even used you as an example when he was telling us about his idea. He said compassion should be nurtured, not seen as a curse. So I'm sure it'll be fine." he assured her.

Hinata blushed a bit, and Neji nodded. Hesitantly, he spoke. "You know, Hashirama, if we don't find him I bet I know what would make for a great surprise for when he returns." seeing his look of interest, Neji spoke. "If we can't find him, whenever he returns, I bet it would be nice for him to return to a built-up compound. We can't do the financial part of getting the electricity and everything but we can build the base." he thought aloud. "That way when things like this happen and people need help, they can just stay in one of the houses. Then when Sasuke gets back he can double-check to make sure they aren't harmful."

Hashirama nodded a bit, agreeing easily to this. "I think that's a great idea. We can work on it while we wait for Itachi to be well enough to be left alone with Madara and Kisame." he smiled a bit. "We'll work on it. Hinata and you can be the first in the new compound. Compassion and power." he chuckled. "Your house is finished up, you just need to work on the garden out back to start with the food. You can help Hinata with hers or let her live with you for now."

A smile appeared over Hinata's face, relieved he wouldn't be left to fend off her clan alone. She had Neji and Hashirama now.

TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTKTKTK

Naruto sat, sitting on the Fourth Hokage's stone monument. He sat on his spiky hair, able to sit in just the right spot so he would be hidden from the village but comfortable. He had a cup of ramen and was eating it casually. His eyes were turned to the sky. It had been two weeks on constant searching, but they hadn't picked up more than a trail which led off into the water. They had to go back since Itachi had asked for an update and they needed supplies anyway.

He sighed a bit, his face looking beyond depressed. His normal bright persona fell off when he was alone, with only himself for company. Damn, he missed his bastard of a friend. He heard a foot shift behind him and saw Madara's tired eyes assessing him. Naruto was quite for a moment with the older ninja, before he felt a hand reach down to roughly land on his blonde spikes. Naruto smiled up at the man, his false persona lifting a bit only to be knocked off his face. "Don't pretend to be happy. This sucks, not knowing where he is or if he's hurt. You don't have anyone to keep hopeful."

Naruto glanced up at the other curiously, seeing him looking down at the village. The village he had made. The village which helped lead Sasuke to leave. His eyes were heavy along with his voice. "This is terrible. But it won't last. We'll find Sasuke, beat it into him that we love him, and bring him home. Or, we won't find him. He'll come home eventually, we'll suffocate him for making us worry, and make it clear to him that this is his home."

It was odd, but somehow brutally comforting. "He's your father, isn't he?" Madara asked, glancing over at Naruto and seeing a confused face, Madara sighed. He needed to work on his conversation skills. "Minato. The Fourth Hokage."

Naruto nodded a bit, hesitantly. "Yeah, he is," he admitted, hand subconsciously pressing to the smooth stone beneath. Madara gave a slight glance out of the corner of his eye but said nothing for a moment.

Finally, the man spoke. "I looked into the other Hokages after Hashirama. I dislike Tobirama as he was a poor choice for Hokage. He focused too much energy on suffocating the Uchiha and military power. It takes more than the power to lead. He never taught this to his student either, it seems. Hiruzen is being kept alive but under the watchful eye of Shikamaru's father. He can do the paperwork and gives the sweet smile to keep people happy but beyond that he is useless. He lacks backbone, and the village suffers for it."

Madara frowned at this bitter truth. "Minato was the best Hokage since Hashirama passed away. He was strong, compassionate, and smart. He was willing to push regulations for the Uchiha to be treated fairly. He was a light spirit, enjoying the simpler things. But he was also smart enough to know when danger was coming and prepare for it. He was a good man. I'm sure you're proud of him."

Naruto furrowed his brows before speaking. "If I ever met him, the first thing I'd do is punch him. Hard," he spoke, scornfully. Madara couldn't help but let a small chuckle escape his lips, quirking a brow at the young one. "My mother had to die, fine, she had the ninetails in her and it got out during labor. But he didn't have to seal half the nine tails in himself. He should have just put it all in me. Then he'd be alive. He could still be the Hokage, Sasuke's clan would be alive, Sasuke wouldn't have left, he was pushing on the Hyuuga to get rid of the seal so Neji would be alright. Everything would be perfect."

A small 'Tch' left Madara's lips at the 'perfect' comment. At least the boy was an optimist. Someone had to be. "Naruto, I doubt they'd want you living with such scorn. Besides, if he had done what you just said, he'd be here beating you over the head with a broom," he smirked, trying his way to ease the tension. "I know if my son went around vandalizing monuments, pranking people, sleeping through class, and eating nothing but ramen, I'd have his hide."

The blonde pouted at that "Come on! You say the ramen thing like its bad! It has vegetables, meat, and wheat in it! Plus its cheap so I get to keep the money for in case I need it. And also, the man who makes the ramen is nice. His daughter bought me this jacket because I kept spilling sauce on myself. Iruka saids at least a third of his paycheck goes to taking me out to eat, but I think he's just being grouchy."

Seeing his lift in mood, Madara smiled a bit and glanced back to the village. "I'll have to go see this 'Iruka'. He should be feeding you real meals if he's taking you out, you'll never be a ninja with that kind of diet. It's unhealthy. I'm half tempted to force you to come to live in the compound so I can make sure you don't get some disease from all that. I'm surprised you aren't dead yet, honestly. Your window was wide open when I walked past. You're such a messy child."

Crossing his arms, Naruto looked up at the older man. "I'm not a child! Iruka said I'm legally an adult, just like Sasuke-teme," he spoke proudly.

Madara's head whipped around at that. "What do you mean you're legally an adult? You're younger than Sasuke, barely leaving the stages of 12. You're a child until you reach at the very least 17." he frowned.

"Not anymore. The Second Hokage changed the law so if you're an academy graduate without any parents you're considered an adult. Iruka said he believed if you're alone you're technically your caregiver. So you can decide what to do with your body. After all, if you're old enough to kill someone for your village at 7, you're old enough to have some sake."

Madara's brow twitched at this. "I'm going to revive that man just to beat him. You are not an adult. Even I still had to look to my father for guidance at times when I was your age." he frowned. "I am serious though, you should take better care of yourself. That apartment reeked, and there was dirt everywhere. You should come to stay in the compound, at least for a while. That apartment is a health hazard."

Naruto blinked, before nodding a bit with a smile. He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Guess you're right. It is getting pretty nasty in there."

TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTKTKTK

They had searched for Sasuke day and night. They had been lead to a river nearby, where Sasuke had seemingly run off down the water. It had taken them a week to search the river up and down to see there was no exit point for his trail. Madara couldn't help but be impressed. At least the boy was good at hiding.

The search party had backtracked, finding their way back to the spot where they had apparently get up camp. Hashirama could faintly feel the spot on the grouch where Sasuke left Chakra residue in his sleep. They had followed the trail of the others they had smelt faint traces of, but it eventually got lost around a group of trees. There was no chakra anywhere near, and it looked like there were multiple chakra trails in different areas. They all searched on and on, following the trails, but they found nothing.

Madara had stayed back, unable to refuse Itachi's one request while he was disabled and unsure. There was no way for them to see anything past normal genjutsu, regrettably. Kisame had woken up two weeks after Sasuke had left, Madara being the first blurry thing he saw. The man was sitting beside a sleeping Itachi, running his fingers through his hair.

Kisame forced himself up, finding his mouth hurt like hell. Reaching up, his eyes flailed open. His hands covered his mouth in panic, letting out an undignified growl. Madara turned to him, pressing him back against the couch. "You're finally awake. You need to lay down. You took a lot of damage to your body. Is something wrong with your mouth?"

The man reached out to force the 19-year old's mouth open and frowned deeply at what he saw. "Kisame, I'm sorry, we never knew you got hurt there or we would have been working on healing them. It looks like your mouth clotted up at least though."

Squirming a bit, Kisame tried to get free so he could look at his mouth. "Whut's wrung?" he mewled out, licking over the inside of his mouth and swallowing deeply as he noticed a lack of teeth in his mouth. They had taken nearly every one of his sharp teeth out. His heart rate picked up, "Tuh Hell?" he muttered in pain.

Madara reached over, a bit of chakra lighting up in his fingers as he ran them over the torn-up gum line. Kisame resisted the urge to bite him, and as he did such he felt a wave of relief wash over him. Madara was not the best healer, but he definitely wasn't a terrible one either.

The Uchiha lightly pat the young man's shoulder, knowing it must hurt like hell to have ten or fifteen teeth ripped out without being sedated. Once he let him go, Kisame clenched his jaw painfully. It hurt, but it wasn't the worst wound he had ever had. He reached over to grab for his sword, eyes flying open as he noticed it not anywhere near him. Madara sighed heavily. "They took your sword, and it appears your teeth too. We didn't see them over at the hideout when we cleaned up. They took Itachi's eyes, Sasori was missing parts, Deidara's hair had been cut, Konan had her flower stolen, and Nagato's six paths were ripped up beyond recognition. This wasn't an ambush. They're warning you to stay quiet. They didn't expect us to show up. They were trying to scare you into submission and take away what was important to you to hurt you." he concluded.

Kisame's eyes swung over to Itachi, who sat nervously fidgeting off to the side. How unlike him. Kisame was quiet for a long moment, looking over at his boyfriend. Finally, Madara stood. "I'll give you two some time," he spoke wearily.

When he left, silence ensued for a long while. Kisame couldn't figure out why Itachi was shaking so profusely until finally, it hit him head-on. It wasn't because he was sick, or cold, or enraged. He was afraid, afraid of Kisame. Of him. The shark man bit back a sigh. Itachi had every reason believes he would kill him now, he supposed. Biting back the pain, he reached over. He wrapped an arm around the younger one, who squeaked a bit as he was pulled into his lap.

Itachi tried to hide his nervousness, but the new lack of defense made it hard. Kisame sighed, running a hand through his hair. He kissed the younger teen's forehead, "Don' look so nervous. Ther are no threats here." he scoffed. It made it hard for Itachi to be intimidated with his speech so slurred. The smaller one let out a small smile, Kisame raising a brow and lightly squeezing his hip. Itachi yipped in laugher, squirming in Kisame's hold. "What's so funny, brat?"

Itachi flustered a bit, "N-Nothing!" he spoke in a rushed fashion. The two continued like this for a while, until Kisame couldn't avoid the elephant in the room anymore.

The Uchiha was leaning on Kisami's chest, relaxed when the older spoke tiredly. "You don't have to be afred, Itachi. You know I don't lie. If I wantered to kill you you'd be dead now and I'd have a pissy Madara to deal with."

Itachi smiled a bit at that, "I know." he muttered before asking, "Kisame, why aren't you killing me? I'm a liability in battle now. I can barely make tea without help." he commented.

Kisame smirked, running his fingers through the younger's hair. "You're my only priority now, Itachi. You hold my complete loyalty. Don't taek it lightly." he chuckled, Itachi blushing a bit. After all, for Kisame to have trust in you, you had to earn it.


	36. What you're missing

The weeks following Sasuke's departure from the village had been busy on both ends of the spectrum. Madara and Hashirama had decided to focus on the village for now, but only after receiving a letter from Sasuke. They had been home on a break from the search at the time, three weeks into looking. There was only a week left until the exams third round, and then they would be forced to put a pause on their search.

A bird had flown into their living room through the window, which might not have been odd, besides the fact it looked to be a young hawk. What's more, was the small piece of paper attached under its wing. The small animal had turned out to be a summon, as when Madara moved to grab it, the bird squawked out, "Madara and Hashirama! Message for Madara and Hashirama?"

The two older ninjas had stopped their approach as the bird pulled the note out of its ruffled fur and tossed it to them. "Message from Master Sasuke." the bird lifting off after that. Madara quickly reached out to grab it's foot, scowling a bit.

"Stay right there. We need to read it and send a response," he demanded, Hashirama scowling at Madara's hold on the bird but nodding in agreement to his point. If they could reach Sasuke, they needed to. How else would they be able to tell him they would be waiting for him?

The summon bit at Madara, startling the man into letting go. It flew over to the window, speaking before flying off, "Master Sasuke can't let anyone see messages coming in for him. Too dangerous. Master Sasuke will send messages one every two months for you all if he can."

They frowned at this but set it aside for now. They needed to focus on the message. Hashirama rushed Madara, taking it from his hands, "Go wake up Itachi. Quickly now! The rest of the search party needs to know too. Kisame will want to know as well." he quickly spoke, at least glad they would be able to know he was still alive.

Madara was out in seconds, ignoring his pride as he darted through the village. He stopped at every house, rushing the news. He stopped at the houses of the Konoha 11 first, then their sensei, at Ibiki and Anko's workplace, at the weapon shop to tell Meiyo, to the hotel where Gaara was staying, and so on. It was honestly surprising, now that he thought about it, how many people there were in Sasuke's corner. He couldn't help but feel a bit of satisfaction at how easily everything could be turned around with a few people there to support him. If only it had happened sooner.

Once everyone was packed into the living room, each eagerly awaiting the opening of the letter, Hashirama let out a breath. "Alright. I'll read it now. The summoning hawk that left it here said he would try to get one to us every two or so months but it was too dangerous for us to reply." letting out a breath. "No matter what's in the letter, if he specifically asks us to leave him alone, we should. The only exception being if he seems to be in danger. I've been thinking about it and...well this might be what he needs to feel confident in himself. Us dragging him back against his wishes might only hurt him. If it's what he decides...it's what we will do."

Even though many wanted to argue, they didn't dare, too nervous and excited over the letter. Finally, Hashirama opened it. He licked his lips, keeping his voice steady as he spoke. He just needed to get through this, even if it held bad news.

"Hello, everyone. As my summon has most likely informed, this is Sasuke. I apologize for leaving so suddenly, and it is rather selfish I know, but it had to be done to keep my sanity in place. I was not originally planning on sending you all updates out of risk of being found. I've heard of the search parties already. After careful consideration, however, I decided messaging you all would be best for various reasons."

Hashirama read it aloud, resisting the urge to rush through it to see any hint of how he was. "For one, I need to request you all stop searching. Specifically my classmates. You, idiots, need to be ready for the exam in a week. Madara and Hashirama, Itachi and the village are more important right now. The third round is coming up soon. I'm sure you two already have a plan for that. Focus on it. Meiyo, the shop's going to be short on manpower without me. You need to focus on it and your family. I'll be fine."

Meiyo looked a bit sad at that but allowed Hashirama to carry on. "Naruto, moron, you specifically better be focusing. How are you going to be Hokage if you're still a genin? Neji, you have big things to do in the upcoming week during the exam. If you don't save yourself from that bastard home of yours while I'm away I'll swoop over and kill your uncle myself. Shikamaru, you make sure our napping spot's nice and worn. I don't want to have to wear it in again myself."

It was obvious he was trying to throw in a bit of humor, but it only made Shikamaru's chest ache more at the loss of his friend. "Sakura, I hear Tsnade is coming to the leaf village on rumors of Hashirama. Naruto's being taught by Jiraiya and I'm being taught by Orochimaru (details later) so why don't you complete the deal? Heh, knowing the rumors about her I doubt it but it's worth a shot. Hinata, I know we don't talk much, but you better be taking care of yourself and ignoring Naruto's idiocy."

Nauto fumed a bit at this, Hinata blushing at the underlying implication. "Shino, I met someone from your clan down here. She's interesting, but she's never been out of the village I'm in. Apparently your clan member came here and had a child. When I come back, I'll have to make sure you two meet up. I think you'd get along. Dog bastard, Kiba, your mutt better stay off the compound while I'm gone. If that thing pisses all over while I'm gone I'll kick your ass. I can't believe I'm saying this but...Ino don't kill Sakura while I'm gone. I'd like to return to both of you alive and well. Don't kill Choji either. He's annoying but not homicide worthy."

Hashirama sweatdropped as he said that, glad Choji had rejected the invitation. "TenTen, I'll be beyond sad if I come back and you've changed into a fangirl or a girly girl. Keep those weapon skills sharp, and I'll bring you back some real jewels I found. Lee, as I'll explain later, your dream is a lot more noteworthy now than I used to think. Keep training hard. I'll be expecting a nice spar when I come back."

They could tell he was trying to keep the note light as he wrote, but the dried tear marks on the page didn't convince Hashirama he was having as easy of a time as it sounded. "Neji, make sure to keep the idiots in line while I'm gone. There's a lot I wish to speak with you about, but I don't think to put it in a letter for anyone to read would be best. I'll have to talk to you about it when I return. Just keep going, alright?"

Neji's eyes softened a bit at that, his heart crumbling as he felt a whole new wave of wanting for Sasuke to return. "Tch, Kurenai-sensei, don't expect to be able to keep boasting about having the best genjutsu in the village when I return. Enjoy your rule while you can." the red eyes woman chuckling at that. "Asuma-sensei, who isn't in a relationship with Kurenai-sensei, you better keep challenging Shikamaru with those weird games of yours. I don't want the lazy bastard to put himself in a coma before I can return."

Kurenai blushed a bit while Asuma looked away slightly at the teen's obvious sarcastic teasing. A few lose snickers escaped the others, Hashirama continuing as to save the young couple the embarrassment. "Gai, make sure my work out equipment doesn't rust while I'm gone. Keep the power of youngth and all that shit alive."

Hashirama nearly choked on his laughter, 'and all that shit' he snickered, typical Sasuke. Gai gave a silent and proud nod, while the others sighed at his determination to keep Sasuke's work out equipment alive. "Kakashi, if I come back and see Gai is ahead of you in your challenges, it will physically kill me. I know you'll keep Sakura and Naruto safe while I'm gone. I'll make sure I remember everything you've taught me so far, spirits know I'll need it training under that creep."

Kakashi had his book put down for once as the letter was read, worried. How long did he intend to be away? "Ibiki, don't get your bandana in a twist. I'm not leaking information while I'm away. Anko, I don't need to hear your lecture about consistent sword training either. I'm keeping up with everything. Kisame, you too. I'm working on it still. I also met a guy here who had an older brother in the swordsmen of the mist, Seigetsu. He seems to think he can take you on in a fight, but about 80% of his insisting is just him fanboying over you. He's also excited for you to die so he can take your sword so...eh? Yeah, he's over my shoulder babbling about me telling you he said hello. Doubt you care, but he's being an instant idiot. Also, take care of Itachi or I'll gut you."

Kisame snorted a bit at that, leaning on a wall a bit away from the others. It almost looked like he was blushing. "Itachi, get better soon. I have someone very excited to meet you, Hashirama, and Madara over here. Which I'll get to later. Gaara, keep working on your control. You'll get it. When I return we'll have one hell of a spar, I'll put up a much better fight for you."

Madara quirked a brow. The boy seemed to have an ego boost. "Now, on to the next order of business. Damn this letter is already long. I'm in the Village Hidden in the Sound, training under Orochimaru. I know that means nothing to Hashirama and Madara, just ask Kakashi or Itachi to explain. Or any adult. I know for everyone who knows who that is it sounds bad, but it isn't as terrible as it seems. I didn't give up my bloodline as most do when it comes to trading with him, we have a special agreement. Yes, he still experiments on me a bit, but nothing too dangerous. I've gotten better endurance now because of it and his training."

Hashirama's stomach did flips at the looks of realization on the Jonin's face but continued nervously. Experiments!? "I'm eating healthy as always, and getting in some serious training. I won't let him change what you taught me though, Kakashi. I'm only listening to his advice as far as power goes. I'm going to lay all my card on the table now so Hashirama and Madara don't figure it out later and lecture me forever about honesty."

Hashirama shifted lightly as he spoke. "Orochimaru is creepy and picky. The way he speaks in itself is nerve-wracking. 'Dear Sasuke', 'My precious Uchiha hatchling', 'My sweet boy', 'My beautiful boy'. It's so damn weird. He completely changed my clothes so I have to wear these stretchy clothes. He made me chose between shaving my head and pulling it in a ponytail, so now I and Itachi have matching hair I guess. Everyone keeps saying my hair looked like a duck's ass. Did it? Why didn't anyone tell me?"

Madara frowned, not liking the sound of this. "He's making me use respectful terms when I speak now, probably why I have so many curses in this letter. I'm so sick of having to watch my mouth. He put a curse mark on me so he can activate it when I do something against his wishes. Kill me, if he wants. Yet another reason you all need to stop. His assistant, Kabuto, was bragging about how Orochimaru is going to kill me and dump my body in Konoha after stealing my eyes if the search parties don't stop. I'm not that valuable to him."

Hashirama paused for a moment, hurt flashing over his eyes. He brought his hand to his face, hurt welling in his heart. Madara took the note to read it and give his friend a break. "He doesn't care about human life at all, actually. He made me commit my first murders last week. It wasn't a kill. It was murder. Seven or so ninja were tied up and he made me kill them. Their blood was everywhere, and I had to clean it. I feel sick just thinking about it. I've seen death but I've never delivered. I tried to resist but I couldn't. He kept activating my curse mark. If he continued I would have died. But I wasn't scared to die. I was scared to leave someone I've met here in the village alone. This is going to sound crazy and idiotic of me, but it's what I chose."

Madara's eyes shot open, many of the older ninja's eyes softening at the idea Sasuke was in a faraway village having to handle his first kills seemingly alone. Who was he living for, though? "His name is Konji. He's six, and already struggling so much. This was part of Orochimaru's arrangement. He's giving me power in return for me training Konji. I know, it sounds crazy, but hear me out. Konji is Orochimaru's son. He's such a sweet little boy. He just wants people to be happy but in a place like this. This is no place for a child to be. It looks neat and orderly but if you enter the side rooms. Death. Experimentation. Cages. Pain. I have to keep him safe."

Kakashi had by now pressed past the others so he was directly beside Madara, looking at the note as if not believing it. "His mother is an unknown Senju. That's not all though. His grandmother on his mother's side was in an arranged marriage with an Uchiha, when they were trying to rebuild the relationship after Madara and Hashirama died. He only has her necklace. I've looked everywhere but nothing. Either Orochimaru purposely hid all possible data concerning his mother or she wasn't anyone important. You would think since it was arranged she would be important though? I'm still working on it."

Itachi breathed from the couch, 'Another Uchiha?' speaking in surprise under his breath while Madara continued with interest. "He was so nervous when I first met him. His old teachers never took the time to see who he was. I only learned the source of his problems because of Kakashi. I was in a panic thinking of how I could lead a child when I was still training myself and unsure about so much. I thought back to the first day you had us introduce ourselves. So thank you for guiding me even when you're so far away."

Kakashi pressed his lips together in surprise. His little genin was training someone in his footsteps? "By figuring out where he came from I learned why so many past sensei had failed him. He can't use his chakra well. He has so much that it gets stuck and builds up too fast before he can release it, breaking his bones. He was so scared he would be a bad shinobi without chakra, and I told him about you, Lee. He wants to meet you one day. I've been working on having him simply meditating and practicing chakra control. Little bits at a time. Heh, that got me some lashes when I told Orochimaru how I'd been training him! But I was right because he can infuse kunai with chakra now! I taught him the shadow clone jutsu since that worked for your chakra issue, Naruto. I know I said you were being stupid when you cried after I learned Chidori, Kakashi, but I take it back. I was so damn proud of him. He learned how to make shadow clones and infuse chakra. He's going to make such a great shinobi someday."

A few of the sensei chuckled at how Sasuke seemed to coo over his student, knowing well how prideful you became of them after some time. "I know it's very unlikely to happen, but Orochimaru seems determined to have him get the Sharingan. That's why our deal entitles me to train him. He said only an Uchiha can truly train and Uchiha. That and Konji hates Orochimaru as much as anyone so he can't be trained directly. Three years, that's how long I'll be here. I've attached a list of his future strike spots and areas he intends of stealing people from on the back. I suppose the bright side to his creepy dotting is I'm around all the sensitive information."

Ibiki looked impressed as he noted the teen spoke the truth, the items on one of the later slips of paper. "Spirits, I was trying to keep my thoughts organized and serious but this is the twenty-third time I've written this letter and I have training tomorrow. I don't have time to redo it again. Guess I should wrap this up then...overall I'm doing fine. I'll be back in less than three years. I'm doing my best to lead Konji in the right direction. I'm also planning on bringing him and the other prisoners back to Konoha if they have nowhere to go. They're all very powerful and mostly kind. I can't wait to tear that snakes throat out for hurting them. There's so much more I want to write but I'm running out of time. I'll send my next letter as soon as the chance arises. Sincerely, Sasuke."

Everyone was stunned to silence, unsure what to think. All of that... in three weeks!? Sasuke looked nothing like Sasuke! He had a curse mark! He had a student! He was being experimented on! How could they wait out for three years!?


	37. Testing

Sasuke let out a light breath as his summon returned, unharmed and with good news. No one had seen him, which was good. Sasuke had been out on his first mission with Orochimaru when he saw the perfect chance to send it out. Since the man still didn't trust him enough to be let outside freely, this would have to do for now.

He had found his first mission to be... interesting. Orochimaru had said his first mission would be a D rank, but this mission would have been considered at least B rank in Konoha. He had been sent out to stalk a man and kill him. He had been trying recently to find the sound, which was a danger as if he continued he might just get lucky. The man had been a trained ninja, making it harder to end him.

Sasuke had done it in the end, but it wasn't any less taxing. He had knelt over for a second, clutching his side and bowing his head. Even if he had already taken a few lives, he hadn't gotten used to the way when he slammed his sword into an enemy's chest they would cry out. What was worse was when he attacked from the front and it broke into their chest, life-draining slowly from their eyes.

Orochimaru had practically dragged him back to the village, disgusted by his weakness. Sasuke had ended up bedridden with physical symptoms because of the stress overload. Seeing so much death, even years after the massacre, brought him nothing good. Orochimaru seemed displeased with his show of weakness but didn't have much argument against him needing time to rest through training when Kabuto had made him aware of a threat over in one of the other bases. The man seemed to be leaving him alone, at least for now.

Sasuke had been in the sound for four or so weeks now, and away from his student for a week. He had to admit, he was missing the younger one. He did miss him, though he didn't expect it when his door creaked open slightly and a small frame stepped into view. He sat up a bit to see his student, offering the boy a pained smile as Konji bowed. "What are you doing here, my Mimmo?"

The six-year-old physically perked up at the little nickname Sasuke had given him-- the teen had said it was an affectionate way of saying 'child' in Hoshigakure. The boy had decided that he enjoyed this about two weeks ago when Sasuke gave it to him. He had never been called such things by his father, who simply addressed him by his name, nor had he ever had the pleasure of calling someone else by such a name since he was to call Orochimaru by his name with the proper suffixes just like everyone else.

He headed over to his sensei, sitting down on the bed beside him with a smile. He was much more relaxed with his sensei now, having realized he did have his best interest at heart. Seeing him sit down Sasuke opened his arms, allowing the boy to cuddle against him as he answered. "I wanted to see you before I had to go to the end of month training with Orochimaru-San. He's supposed to be coming back from his trip in an hour or two to test me. One of the housemaids said you were in here." he explained.

Smiling nervously, Sasuke nodded. He hadn't forgotten about the training which would decide if he was a good enough teacher. They had been working on attacking more than defense, but those shadow clones Sasuke had taught him seemed to work pretty well for protecting his real body. "I'm sure you'll do great. Just remember, focus on putting up as good of a fight as you can. It's not about being able to hurt him- I doubt he expects you to lay a finger on him- but more about showing what you've learned. Alright?"

Konji nodded quickly, looking up at Sasuke with excitement. "I'll do really good and make you proud, Sensei," he promised. He nearly jolted his head away when Sasuke lightly patted his head, giving a light chuckle, still not completely used to the affection.

"You've already made me proud, Mimmo. The amount of progress you've made in a month is unbelievable," he assured him. Then, there was a knock at the door, and Kabuto entered with Orochimaru in tow. Konji practically leaped from the bed, quickly moving to fix his small kimono.

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes at their cuddling, Kabuto smirking a bit. Orochimaru bit out, "Sasuke, you may advise him this time since it's his first test with you if you'd like. Konji, be in training field three for testing in twenty minutes." he demanded before quickly turning around with Kabuto in tow.

Konji bit his lip and sighed, "Guess Orochimaru-San is early." he muttered. Seeing Sasuke's pointed look, he quickly remembered to stretch before the match so he wouldn't cramp. While he was stretching Sasuke took a quick shower and changed into some new clothes.

They headed out to the training area, passing the villagers who gave them light glances. Sasuke wore his normal clothes which had been made for him, the symbol on the back as large and prideful as any Uchiha style. Once they arrived, Sasuke stood off to the side while Konji planted his feet softly but firmly on the ground on the opposite side of his father.

Orochimaru did the same, and the testing began. Konji made the hand symbols, quickly creating twenty or so shadow clones. Each one of them took off in a different direction, already starting on their chakra shuriken. Konji found it was much easier to use chakra once it had been split into multiple sections. Little bits at a time, as Sasuke had said.

The sannin gave him only a bit of time however, multiple snakes hissing and extending from his body to latch onto and destroy each and every one of his son's clones. He licked his long tongue over his lips, sending his snakes towards the boy.

He found amusement take hold of him as the boy moved to just barely dodge each snake. He could move much faster of course, but he was here to test his future vessel, not fight. From the side, Sasuke called out, "Konji, remember, balance!"

Hearing this Konji seemed to snap out of his straight defense, he grabbed onto the head of the snake which had been attacking him. Orochimaru felt his jaw clench into a smile as the child broke it's jaw on the spot, killing the snake. It seemed he had learned at least a bit of offense, then. He would have to see how well he did against this then.

Six or so snakes came rushing at the boy who swiftly dodged away, running to the left, only to have his ankle caught with one of the snakes while the others bit roughly onto him. "H-Hn!" He cried out in pain, turning to wrap his free leg over his captured ones, clenching the snakes between his legs and forcing them to let go out of the threat they might be crushed.

He limped away, unable to handle the pain of six snake bites on one leg in his small body. He clenched his teeth and repeated the shadow clones to protect him and fight off the snake while he focused on infusing chakra into his own Fuma Shuriken. By the time all the shadow clones were destroyed, he was able to send it off using the technique Sasuke had taught him.

Konji appeared behind Orochimaru, going in to slice his throat with a kunai when he felt his throat sliced from behind. He gagged on his own blood as he fell, Orochimaru tisking a bit. "I suppose you've done a well enough job this time, Sasuke. I'll expect as much progress next month as well. Kabuto, fix this."

As Orochimaru left Kabuto made quick work of healing the nearly dying child, before leaving his unconscious form with Sasuke. Not that this was anything new to Sasuke, Orochimaru often trained nearly to the death since Kabuto could heal them on their dying breath.

None the less, it did still hurt to carry the little boy back to the housing area in his arms. He didn't deserve this. Once he got him to his room he set him down on the bed, deciding it would be best if Konji wakes up to have Sasuke with him. Plus, Sasuke didn't like the fact Konji was left alone to feed himself so young. Given, Sasuke had been doing it from a young age too, but it was wrong even so.

While he worked to cook them both something to eat, some tomato soup to be exact, he let Konji rest. The boy didn't wake up for another five or so hours, but when he did the first thing he saw was Sasuke in the living room area. He quietly stood up, inching over towards Sasuke. The teen was looking through some old family albums.

Konji tugged on Sasuke's sleeve, pulling him out of his train of thought. Sasuke glanced over at him with a startled look at first, though it quickly melted into a thin smile. "You're awake. That's good. I made you some soup for when you get more awake." he noted, moving an arm out of the way to let Konji crawl up into his lap.

Over the last few weeks, Sasuke had realized how truly touch starved the boy was, and that it wasn't by choice. It seemed any moment he had the chance to cuddle or be affectionate he would. He truly was too sweet of a boy for this horrid place. Once Konji was comfortable in his sensei's lap, he smiled up at him in thanks. "Thank you, Sensei." biting his lip slightly in nervousness. "Did I do alright on my test, Sensei?"

Sasuke smiled at him and nodded. "You did amazing. I'm so proud of you." giving him a light hug from behind. "I got you a gift as congratulations for winning," he noted. It was odd. Around anyone else, he was cold and defensive. Near Konji though, all he wanted to do was shower the boy with affection. He supposed he saw himself in the boy, alone with no one to care for him. It must have been his subconscious wanting to protect him from the darkness as Madara and Hashirama had done for him.

Konji's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?" he asked uncertainly. He noticed a small box off to the side, wrapped in what looked to be a sort of string. Sasuke handed it to him with a nod, encouraging him to open it. Konji tugged on the string in confusion, and Sasuke's heart ached a bit as he realized the boy had probably never opened a present.

"Like this. See the little stings hanging loose? Take those and tug. It's okay to tear the box." he assured him as he mimicked his sensei's words. When he opened it, his breath hitched. Inside was a long-sleeved kimono, dark purple in color. It was soft with light fabric which would make it perfect for both battle and casual wear. Its most defining feature, however, was on the back. It had the Uchiha symbol, the vibrant red and dark black coming surprisingly nice off the purple of the fabric.

Konji felt his voice die in his throat, unable to get out the words needed to say thank you. It was then that he noticed there were two more things in the box. A pair of bracelets. He lifted them, speechless as he looked at the bronze items which had the Senju symbol carved into them. He looked up at his sensei, speechless. He felt a hand on his back, calming him down. He only then realized he had begun crying in joy.

Sasuke lightly pressed the six-year-old closer, rubbing his back gently as he cried with joy. He supposed working so close to a blacksmith and having to keep his clothes intact himself for so long had done him some good in the end. He let the little one get out his emotions, ignoring the small tear stain appearing over his shirt. Finally, Konji relaxed enough to speak. "T-Thank you, Sensei," he muttered quietly in appreciation. He held the fabric close to his chest which he laid his head on Sasuke's shoulder, looking down at the book he had been holding. "W-What's that, Sensei?"

Sasuke rubbed his back, sliding a finger over the book. "An old family album from when I was a young child." unsure as he offered, "It had pictures of our clan if you would like to see." figuring he should at least allow the boy a chance to see more than one Uchiha in his life.

Konji nodded in excitement, "Yes please, Sensei. I would love to see other clan members. I've only read about the most powerful ones and their abilities. Like...um...what was it...Oh! Shisui the Teleporter, Wicked Eye Fugaku, and Madara the Ghost of the Uchiha!" he smiled happily at his knowledge.

Sasuke chuckled a bit, shifting through a few pages before landing on one. It was him, Itachi, and an older looking boy. The older boy had dark hair and looked just as Uchiha as the other two. He looked to be about thirteen, arms wrapped around Itachi, who was ten or so at the time. Sasuke stood in front of Itachi, the seven-year-old smiling broadly into the camera. All three were wearing matching white cat ears, whiskers painted on their cheeks. The eldest was smiling broadly with Sasuke, while Itachi looked almost shy. "Shisui the Teleporter was my elder cousin." he smiled and pointed to the older boy.

Konji's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? He looks so...so...happy! The books said he was serious in combat and ruthless against enemy ninja." he looked upon the photo with curiosity. He pointed to the other two boys. "Who are they, Sensei?"

The teen smiled sheepishly. "Shisui was more fun and games, at least when it came to me. He died before I got to know him in a more mature relationship." glancing at where his student pointed. "That one is Itachi, my older brother. He's still alive, back in Konoha. He's very kind. A pacifist, if you would believe it." he chuckled. "Then that's me. We were going to a clan festival together since we all had the day off from missions and school."

Looking confused, Konji looked up at Sasuke. "A pacifist? I read that he killed the entire clan one night. The details were pretty lost but...how could someone who killed so many people be kind?" he asked in confusion, words carefully as if unsure if he could ask about the teen.

Sasuke let out a light breath. He didn't want to get too emotional with his student and upset him. "It's like a taught you. Hurting people who are trying to hurt your loved ones is understandable. He didn't want to do what he did. He was thirteen at the time, barely into his teenage years. He was forced by our village, to protect me." he sighed. "Things are being fixed in the village now, though. Madara and Hashirama are fixing them."

He closed the book and switched to a much fresher looking book. It lacked the aging that the other ones did. He opened up to a page which had a picture of Madara and Hashirama sitting on the couch. In between Hashirama's legs was Itachi, who had his arms crossed and was looking slightly embarrassed as he leaned on the brunette's chest. Madara had Sasuke in the area between his legs too, Sasuke leaning on his chest but refusing to look at the camera. On the left side, beside Madara, was Neji who was smiling thinly at Sasuke's pouting and had a light fluster on his cheeks. On the left side, beside Hashirama, was Kisame who was lightly pinching at Itachi's flustered cheeks with a sharp-toothed grin.

Sasuke pointed to Hashirama, "Hashirama Senju. He's playful, even if he does get pretty intense when it comes to threats against me and Itachi. He's such a mother hen." he chuckled. "Then that's Madara beside him. He's grumpy, and tough teacher, but he can be fun when he's in the right mood. He cares about me and Itachi a lot. He's also a good fangirl shield. Take him anywhere with me and he's glaring every girl within a ten-foot radius away." he laughed.

Konji looked fascinated, looking at the photos of the men who he'd read to be so ruthless and powerful. It seemed there really was more to people than their fighting. "The one beside me is Neji Hyuuga. He's a...good friend of mine." blushing a bit at his still unclear feelings towards the Hyuuga. But that was nothing to speak about with a six-year-old. "Then that's Kisame beside Itachi. He's a swordsman of the mist, and Itachi's boyfriend."

The boy looked on with curiosity, "Do you have any pictures of Wicked Eye Fugaku?" since Sasuke had pictures of all the others. Sasuke nodded and switch back to the older book, flipping to the very beginning where Fugaku stood straight with his hands folded behind his back. He had a stern expression on, the woman beside him much gentler. She stood with her back straight as well, hand on a four-year-old Sasuke's head. The child was mimicking his father, shoulders held back and head high. Beside him was Itachi, who stood much more relaxed with Fugaku's hand on his shoulder.

The boy's jaw dropped. "You knew him too? How do you know so many powerful shinobi?" he asked in surprise, looking over the photo and noticing he looked as firm and ruthless as he had sounded in the book.

Sasuke chuckled at his surprise. "He was my father. A stern man, but he focused on what he felt his clan's best interest was at least. Beside him is my mother, Mikoto. She was a jonin too, not someone you wanted to argue with." he chuckled. It was odd, showing the boy the old pictures of his clansmen, but Sasuke had to admit he enjoyed it. It was almost as though he was finally healing up old scars.


	38. It needs to stop

It was a week after they had all received their first letter from Sasuke. It was finally time for the third round of the chuunin exams, and more than a few were nervous about it. Hashirama was dressed in a new outfit he had bought when out with Madara. Both wore clothes nearly identical to the ones they had worn back when they had been alive the first time around. They did their best to look like their old selves, wanting everyone to be able to tell it was them.

They planned to head to the exams today along with the children in the compound who were taking part in it. Madara would be helping Itachi to come with them, the younger Uchiha wanting to at least be there to support the younger shinobi. Of course, this meant Kisame would be following them along. The shark shinobi had refused at first as he was in the bingo book, but Hashirama insisted it was fine as technically so was Itachi. That, and what were they going to do, attack Kisame while he was under the first Hokage's protection?

As such, they all headed down to the exams, Hashirama's back straighter than usual. He had a lot to say, and a lot that needed to be heard. He couldn't mess this up or the village may not accept his word. When they finally made it to the split-off between contestants and viewers, he gave Neji a light hug. "Good luck. To all of you." he encouraged, watching as the teens each accepted his words in their way, whether it was looking away slightly with a scoff or smiling broadly at him with a nod.

Once that was over, he headed to the side until more people arrived. He noticed a fair amount of ninja who was participating notice him, and as such shrink into their area in the contestant area. He felt a bit bad, seeing all the ninja grow nervous as they prepared to take their test in front of the first Hokage whom they'd been conditioned to look up to since birth. However, he also didn't on the other hand. If they got intimidated just by having him watch they could very well be intimidated by the people who they fight, leading them to die for a moment of hesitance. He rather their dreams be crushed here and they live on a bit disappointed than they die in battle, humiliated.

Soon enough everyone had arrived, and the third Hokage stood from his chair. He looked tired, and apologetic as he spoke. "Before we begin, there is something which needs to be addressed. I know you all have heard the rumors flying around about the return of Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha. I can confirm this. They are here today and wish to share their thoughts on what this village has become and over the shinobi in it. I hope you all will give them your undivided attention as we prepare for the exams." sitting down as he finished and giving them both the floor.

Hashirama slowly walked towards the center of the large stadium, pressing his lips together and keeping himself composed. He no longer looked like a joyful fun-loving man- right now he was all business. Madara kept a calm pace just beside him, making some of the audience members squirm in their seats. After all, the love for the second founder was considerably smaller than the love for the first even if they both built it together. What the audience wasn't expecting was Itachi following just behind them. They all froze seeing the boy, expecting him to pull some terrible stunt to try to kill Hashirama. Soon enough there were warning yells of 'Clan killer!' 'Behind you!' 'Itachi of the Sharingan!' 'Where are the ANBU!?'

Hashirama gave them no response until he was in the center of the room, pulling Itachi forward so he had an arm on the boy's shoulder. He noticed Itachi didn't even flinch at the names and sighed. Madara stood on Itachi's other side, hand on the teen's opposite shoulder. Finally, Hashirama shouted in an ear-piercing tone, "Silence!"

The crowd quickly obeyed him, shrinking back at the dark look overcoming Hashirama's and Madara's faces. "No one is to speak ill of this child, especially so blindly. How many of you were at the Uchiha compound when the attack took place? How many of you know why the attack took place? Do any of you even understand what's going on?"

Hearing silence he continued with a growl. "This is Itachi Uchiha, one of the last few living Uchiha. He killed his clan, but not on a whim. He killed his clan to protect the village he loved and protected. The Uchiha were planning to overthrow the village. If they were allowed to continue everything would have fallen. A war would break out in Konoha, prompting the other villages to attack while we were weak. Itachi killed the clan to stop a war from breaking loose. He killed nearly everyone who was ever important to him to save your lives. Itachi was thirteen when he was forced to kill his parents, his uncles, aunts, cousins, clansmen! He was thirteen when he was forced to shoulder all the hatred of the villages onto him. He was thirteen when he went to live with a group of S-Class criminals just to leak information to a village which hated him. He was thirteen when the person he loved above all else, his little brother Sasuke Uchiha, swore to kill him. He accepted dying under the name of a traitor to keep you all alive!"

Itachi could hear the anger in Hashirama's calm yet thunderous voice. "He went on for three years, suffering the hatred while dying of a nearly incurable disease he got by trying to keep you all alive. He would have died under the false pretext of a traitor too if Madara and I hadn't come along. He never once seemed content with straying from his path. Even now, with us living with him, he still protects the village with his eyes. I'm sure you all see the bandages covering his eyes. Do you know how he got them? Protecting the village! He was trying to help by converting enemy ninja to ally ninja in a meeting. He convinced S-Rank criminals to help the village and give up their man-hunting. Do you know what the village elder in charge did in return? Danzo ripped his eyes out then stole teeth, hair, and other items from the others as trophies thinking he could just get away with it."

The audience was frozen, the ANBU in particular stiffening at the mention of their leader. "Do you know who allowed all this sorrow to fall upon a child, who is now only sixteen years old? The Third Hokage. He ordered Itachi to kill the clan. He allowed Danzo to rise to power. He allows Danzo to attack small villages, making us hated by a large majority of them. He allowed Orochimaru to live on, blinded by his love as a sensei. Now, Orochimaru is in some unknown location practicing human experiments on mere children and possibly rearing up for an attack. He also has verbally mistreated the orphans of the village, at least two accounts that we know of. That is two too many. Does anyone even remember why the village was founded?"

Hearing complete silence, Madara spoke up for the first time. "This village was founded to create peace, and protect children. Hashirama and I both grew up in a time where you're making your first kill when you're six years old normally. We wanted to end this, as children shouldn't be forced to make these choices. By doing these things, the village is spitting in both of our faces and showing complete disrespect. But it isn't all the thirds fault. I know plenty who can be blamed for this downfall."

Madara moved to glare up at Neji's uncle in the stands who was watching with a calm expression. "Hiashi Hyuuga. You are the clan head, and you claim to want to remove the curse seal policy, yet you do nothing. Neji Hyuuga is repetitively harmed by your hands, and Hinata Hyuuga is repetitively harmed by your words. Even with Neji's resentment to you he still protects Hinata like a true shinobi! By being so obviously cruel to them, you make yourself part of the problem."

Hiashi looked startled, but Madara didn't give him time for a comeback. "You all whisper behind a certain ninja's back, blaming him for holding a demon inside him. Have you ever stopped to think of what would happen if it was out? Would you prefer it to be roaming the earth? No! Once again, a child protects you all."

Madara straightened up a bit, calming his appearance. "I could think of many more examples, but I believe you all get the point. The only adult shinobi I've met so far and can honestly say Hashirama and I respect in moral terms would be Kakashi Hatake, Shikaku Nara, Anko Mitarashi, and Ibiki Morino. The rest of you have done little to be considered true shinobi."

Giving them a moment to process this, the two stayed quiet. Finally, the spoke, "That is why we believe it is time for a new Hokage. One will be appointed, as the third has agreed to step down from his position once one shows." or rather, agreed when the two shinobi had warned him it was that or death. "Of course it will overall be put to vote, but I refuse to allow another such as he to go into the office. He is not a bad man, just ignorant."

He noticed a few people squirming in their seats and finally offered a warm smile. "On another note, Sasuke Uchiha is opening up a safe house for anyone who needs shelter or has unfit units looking after them. Neji Hyuuga, Hinata Hyuuga, Naruto Uzumaki, and a few others are already living in the compound. Living there will require a lot of work on your part since most of the houses are older and the wiring poor, but it will be a safe place for you to live. This applies to anyone from any village, so if anyone has any questions, feel free to come to me or Madara during or after the exams. I assure you, if there is a viable reason, we will personally make sure you can escape an unsafe area. This applies to all villages as well. The main organizer, Sasuke Uchiha, will not return for three years but we will do our best to get you all set up until then."

With that, they both headed down into the crowd while the exams started, Itachi following after them. They sat beside Kisame on the bench and watched as Neji came onto the field across from Hinata. This should be interesting.


	39. Important Matters

Neji let out a deep breath as finished his fight against Hinata. He had won of course, though not gone into attempting to kill her since Hashirama had assured him the seal would be taken care of. Apparently, Madara was an expert at seals and was doing his best to find out a way to remove it from him while Hashirama had only moments before put of the warning to anyone who tried to stop them. He gave his cousin a light bow as they finished their fight, and now not blinded by hate, realized how selfish he had truly been by hating her for the deeds of her father. He would need to fix their battered relationship before it was too late.

He headed down once the crowd finished its assessment, and went to sit over beside Hashirama since his match was over. Hinata was being taken to have some wounds healed up, though he had barely gotten any and was fine to sit and watch the next match. Hashirama placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and gave him a light smile. "I'm proud of you. You did very well in your fight." he praised.

Neji glanced away a bit, not used to the kind praise besides the worshipping he got for being a prodigy. He muttered a 'thank you', though he trailed off to reflexively move back so he was more behind Hashirama than anything when he saw a certain man approaching. Neji cursed his weakness at the moment but knew Hashirama wouldn't berate him for it. He also noticed Hashirama's eyes sharpen slightly at the sight of the other man, Madara becoming more relaxed. Which was somehow even more terrifying to know he could wipe you from the face of the earth with a flick of his finger.

Hiashi stopped in front of Neji, his silver eyes relaxed despite the threat he faced by simply standing there. "Neji. I need to speak with you over important matters. Come." he demanded, though it was softer than the young Hyuuga was used to.

A hand stopped Neji as the boy moved to stand up and follow the other's orders, Madara sending the man an eerily calm look. "Whatever it is you need to tell Neji, you can tell him right here. Neji will not be following you into any restricted area alone." he narrowed his eyes gently.

Rubbing his temple, Hiashi directed his attentions to Neji. "Fine, Neji, take this then. If you are truly leaving the Hyuuga compound you'll need it. I should have given it to you long ago, and for that, I do apologize. I didn't think you were ready to deal with the truth yet. But if you're old enough to choose what is best for you, you are old enough to try to understand your father."

Neji's eyes snapped open at the mention of his father, almost shrinking away from the envelope before quickly deciding he needed it if it had some sort of 'truth' in it concerning his father. He reached out and took it, quickly bringing it into his lap but not moving to open it. When it came to his father, he always got emotional. He didn't need to do that in front of Hashirama or Madara, let alone any surrounding crowd members who might catch glimpse of it. His hands shook a bit as he sat it on his lap, giving on a nod. "Thank you," he muttered, watching as his uncle made quick work of moving away.

Hashirama and Madara exchanged glances, unsure if they should allow the boy to keep something from the older Hyuuga and if it would hurt him. They decided since the man spoke of his father, they would stay out of it and allow the boy to keep it to himself unless he wished to share. Instead, Hashirama settled for resting an arm on the teen's shoulders as they watched the rest of the exams.

TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTKTKTK

Madara had felt an odd presence outside the Uchiha compound not long after the final exams had closed up. There had been a few to make Chuunin. In the end, Shikamaru, Neji, and Gaara had become chuunin. Neji and Shikamaru were inside, playing a few rounds of Sho with Hashirama and chattering with him and Itachi.

Naruto had already set up his house, for the most part, the water and electricity not done yet and the walls still needing a bit of work, but overall, it was in liveable condition. Kisame had worked on his house as well, faring about as well as Naruto was, though he had water. Hinata was living on the same road as all the other houses, doing fine to make her house livable with the somewhat instant help of Neji. The curious this was, those not celebrating with Hashirama were all in their houses. So who could this be?

Madara took a step outside the Uchiha compound and noticed a redheaded ninja coming up from the main path in the distance. He quickly recognized him to be Gaara, the boy who had taken first place in the chuunin exams. Madara stood his ground, crossing his arms lightly as the boy came forward. "Hello, Gaara I believe, is there something I can help you with?"

The teen seemed hesitant, and Madara looked on with interest. He was a bit surprised as he heard the teens words. The redhead was quiet, but his voice was surprisingly gentle in comparison to his rough appearance, which made him look terribly sickly now that Madara saw him up close. Gaara was much too tiny for his age, shorter and skinnier than could be healthy. Not to mention the large bags under his tired eyes. "Yes, I'm Gaara," he confirmed. "I'm sorry if I miss understood or if it would be too difficult because I'm from the sand village but I was wondering about...the compound...and if it would be possible..." eyes drifting away. He had been much less brash with his words since the onetails had been better sealed.

Madara quickly understood, and smiled at the young teen, who he decided couldn't be any older than Sasuke was. "The offer applies to anyone who needs it. Sasuke and Neji have told me and Hashirama much about you. The only complication would be your father being the Kazekage. We'll need to speak with him first to make it official. Unless you're sure he won't mind." he noted.

Gaara shook his head back and forth. "He won't mind. He's been trying to make me leave the sand village for years since I put it in so much danger with the one tails and all. Jiraiya-sensei sealed it though so it shouldn't be a big problem now." he noted. "I've been wanting to leave the sand village for years now, but I don't really have anywhere I could go to stay," he explained.

The Uchiha nodded in understanding, moving to lightly motion the boy to come into the compound gates. "I see. Well, you're welcome to stay here. The main house is right up there were Hashirama, me, Sasuke, and Itachi live. Neji lives on one side of the street with Hinata and Kisame lives on the other, though he isn't in it much since he's injured from an attack. Naruto lives right beside Kisame's house, closer to the gates. You can take the house across from Narutos if you would like."

Gaara nodded, quickly bowing and offering a sincere thank you. Madara smiled at the boy with a nod, "Of course. The house is fairly beat up but you can renovate it any way you'd like as long as it stays on the property. Until it's fixed you can stay with either one of the others or in the main house." he explained. Gaara nodding in understanding, glad to do whatever it took to get away from his father's demented village. After all, if he lived with S-Rank criminals and others who shared the out of place feeling, he wouldn't be harmed with stares or glares anymore, right?


	40. The children come first

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The character "Touya Yato" is a character created entirely by "Ita1412". They requested that I add their OC to the compound, so I agreed. I hope you all are enjoying the story.

It was late in the night, 3:00 am to be exact. Sasuke should be in bed but instead stood in the center of his room, wrapping his legs and pulling on his shirt. He wore the clothes Orochimaru had been supplying for him from day one. His current outfit consisted of a long-sleeved black shirt with the Uchiha symbol on the back, which extended to the very tips of his wrists and up to the top of his throat. His pants were simple leggings, and his shoes a dark fabric. He pulled his hair into a neat ponytail, his hair now going down to just above his waist. Overall, the worst possible outfit he could have for combat. But he wasn't going to use straight-up combat if he didn't need to. He was going to do his best to end things off with stealth and avoid any huge confrontations. After all, it wasn't just him he had to think about right now. There were children involved.

He turned to Konji, now 9 years old, who sat on his bed tying up his knee-high boots. The boy had long black hair which he allowed to freely fall to his hips. He wore a dark blue shirt similar to Sasuke's, his pants the same as well. His bracelets held onto his wrists, luckily still fitting after all these years. Not that it was hard with his tiny frame. Konji's skin was a deathly looking white color, far beyond ale at this point. Sasuke never had gotten the boy into the sunlight, and for that, he felt truly sorry.

Seigetsu snapped him out of his thoughts, the shark man tossing Sasuke his sword. "Alright, let me double-check this, I'll be up on land waiting until you send the kiddos out to me, then I run for Konoha with them? I still think I'd be a better fit to fight Orochimaru-sama with you." he snorted. "But I suppose you're the boss since you're the man with the plan." he joked easily, sharp teeth forming into a grin at his long-time friend. His dark brown ninja attire would work well with the fallen leaves surrounding him though, so at least he knew Sasuke wasn't sending him on a suicide mission.

Sending a light glare at him, Jugo scolded, "Sasuke-san is intelligent. You have no right to judge his plan. Even if he isn't telling us all the details, I trust him with my life." sending his squad leader a reassuring smile. Sasuke smiled back slightly, the orange-haired man always understanding. "Thank you for placing me as the one to ride to Konoha on the hawk and warn the compound. I don't think I could deal with being around too many people and falling into a rage. I'll make sure to deliver your message, Sasuke-san."

Karin stretched as she came out of the bathroom where she had changed into a nice simple red outfit, heading over to lift the scroll on the bed and look through it a second time. "Yada yada, let's get things going. We need to start soon. Though I'm still not convinced bringing Konji with you is the smartest idea, Sasuke-san. He's still only 9, no matter how great his sensei is."

Sasuke slid his sword into his weapons belt, "Konji will be as safe with me as he has ever been. Don't worry about him. You just need to focus on getting that scroll to the Hokage as soon as possible. We'll be there as soon as we can, a week tops. I'm trusting you all to do your part and follow my instructions." he spoke in a voice much quieter but also slightly deeper than he had three years ago. "If I fail to kill my targets I'll send Konji to the compound using the teleportation jutsu. You all know what to do from there, should I not return."

He whispered the last part, not wanting his precious student to hear. Konji headed over to them, taking a slight breath before speaking. "We should head out soon, sensei. I spread the word to the children to meet in the village's training area so we could gather them. Some of them seem hesitant but agreed to meet there. Hopefully, we won't meet much resistance." he informed.

Sasuke nodded in agreement, "We should head out now. Everyone, do your best." nodding goodbye to his comrades as they left the room and each spread into different directions, ready to fulfill Sasuke's will. Sasuke headed towards the left-wing of the building, slipping into the training area. Many children were waiting, mostly from ages six to ten, but a few over. One in particular that stuck out was a twelve-year-old who stood firmly in front of the children.

The boy had fluffy black hair which swept backward, and a pair of bangs on either side of his face to match. His blue eyes steadied on Sasuke in a warning manner, red lips pursed in thought as Sasuke revealed himself. His slim body didn't make Sasuke think he was weak, in fact, it only assured his strength with the thin muscle lines. He was rather short, but that could very well be an advantage for any ninja. His clothes seemed to hold a darker theme, making him almost loom as his strong voice came. "I heard you wanted to summon everyone under the age of eleven here. I don't know what twisted game you're planning on playing, but you will not toy with the lives of children," he warned.

Sasuke looked unfazed, his back straightening as his eyes watched the others, bored, but expelling power. "I have no intent to hurt these children. I'm here to help them. They shouldn't be in the sound village. They deserve to be able to live above ground, where the sun shines and life frolics. You deserve to be out of the village. Allow me to take you all with me, to Konoha. Specifically, my compound in Konoha. It will be safe there."

The boy moved forward, his voice low as to not wake everyone as he spoke in a hushed hiss. "As if we should believe you. Your Orochimaru-Sama's student. What reason would you have to help us." eyes hardening. "I, Touya Yato, can not stand discrimination. However, it is only logical for you to be following in your teacher's footsteps. Even if you aren't, I can't take that risk."

"Let me help you, Yato-kun. Let me help these children. I am not Sasuke Uchiha of the sound. I am Sasuke Uchiha of the leaf. Come, I'm sure you have the best interest of the children at heart, so let's make a deal." lifting an old scroll from his pocket. He slipped it open, revealing an old 'missing' sign. It held a photo of a small child, which looked similar to Touya but slightly different in the bone structure. "You follow me, and I'll help you find your dear little brother when everyone is safe and sound."

Sasuke hated it, but he had gone through the files of all the children and detailed himself with ways he could manipulate them into leaving. He couldn't have one making a racket and alerting everyone in the village of his plan. He noticed Touya clench his teeth slightly, lowering his weapons. "Fine. I'll go with you, but only to watch the children. If anyone lays a finger on them, they're dead." voice holding a tinge which convinced Sasuke he wasn't lying.

Sasuke nodded firmly, meeting the other with a promising look. "Konji, I want you to lead the children to the area where Seigetsu is waiting. There's been a slight change of plans. Do me proud." voice soft and his eyes closing briefly.

Konji looked confused but obeyed his sensei for the time being. He motioned to the others, who all followed him hesitantly. There were a few nervous murmured of their parents, and Konji assured them, "Sensei will get out everyone he can, as safely as he can. But you all are the priorities. Just as sensei always saids, the children are the future." he smiled lightly.

The children seemed willing to obey the strong and confident teen, well, all besides Touya who stayed more to keep an eye on the children. He glanced over at Konji, "Why are you and Uchiha-San doing this? When Orochimaru-Sama finds out, you'll both be on his kill list. Or at the very least punished harshly."

Konji made his way up the staircase to lead the children up, not sure why Sasuke wasn't helping him lead the children to Seigetsu, but knowing his sensei would have a reason. For now, he focused on fulfilling his sensei's wishes. "Sensei will be killing Orochimaru-San for the best of everyone in the village. He won't be able to hurt any of us. As for why, as I said, children are the future of the world. If the children are not safe, the future is not safe."

Touya frowned at this but said nothing. After all, for personal reasons, he understood the betrayal of a family all too well. For now, the best he could do was work on protecting the children. In the end, he agreed with the idea that children needed to be protected. Hence why he was so willing to put his life on the line to protect these.

They luckily made it to the exit without a hitch, running above land, which was where it became more of a problem. It was still dark, so their eyes weren't terribly blinded, but the rain falling was startling to them all with few exceptions. Konji physically reeled back, never having experienced rainfall. Around him was a forest of mostly dead trees, which sent his instincts on red alert. It was freezing out, though he wasn't sure if it was the water or the temperature. He forced on foot in front of the other as the younger children who had never experienced such things either froze. "C-Come on everyone. We need to meet up with Seigetsu-San. He'll make it so we're all safe." he gulped.

Touya looked to be one of the few who was less affected by the surroundings, the teen moving to take the hands of some of the younger and taking charge. "Everyone grab someone else's hand. Konji, go to the back and watch for rear attacks and so no one gets lost. Come on, I can sense a chakra signature in the distance. That must be Seigetsu. We have to get moving so we can find shelter."

Konji did as he was instructed, more out of agreeance with the actions than the habit to obey, which he had broken long ago under Sasuke's teachings. They moved towards the south, trying to find the man to regroup with. Eventually, they found Seigetsu, who stood under a tree with a familiar pinkette. Konji quickly moved in front of them all, defensively. "Tayuya-San, what are you doing here? I suppose if you're here then Orochimaru-Sama already knows what's happening." jaw clenching.

Seeing them, Tayuya lowered the kunai she had been holding up when she heard the sound. "I'm here to join you guys. You're not the only one Sasuke's been teaching. He's been teaching a lesson for the last three years that the sound needs: humanity. I want to leave the sound. My loyalty lies with Sasuke now. Not your father. He knows nothing of this, at least not from my mouth."

Konji eyes her suspiciously for a moment, before deciding. "Fine. Seigetsu-San, lead the way. We need to make it to the Uchiha meeting place as soon as possible. We need a safe house, at least until we're sure Orochimaru-Sama is dead."

Seigetsu sent a lazy two-finger salute, and like that they were all off. It took hours, but soon enough they made it. The rain had eased up by the time night rolled around, so they didn't have to deal with a lot of sunlight. That, and as Seigetsu had explained, it was winter. Sasuke had told Konji of the seasons, but he didn't know this 'winter' could be so brutal. They hadn't stopped at nightfall despite the children's innocent whines and pouting. Konji, Seigetsu, Tayuya, and Touya all knew it wasn't safe.

They arrived in Konoha around noon the day after they had left, their feet tired and bodies weary from lack of sleep and food stops. Konji leads them towards the Uchiha compound, ignoring the many stares he got from the villages as a herd of children came in through the gate and towards the compound. A few ANBU guards and Jonin became alert but headed towards the Hokage office with the exception of a few who moved to silently follow them. The four older ninjas noticed them following but didn't stop them. They had every right to be on alert.

When they reached the Uchiha compound, they glanced around briefly. The houses were nice looking, with people sitting on porches and a few children playing out in the streets. On the porches of the side house were mostly teenagers, Konji noticed. He recognized the blonde from Sasuke's team photo, but also remembered Sasuke speaking of him being unable to take much seriously. There was the shark man, Kisame, on a porch leaning on a real. The teen who Konji had long since guessed to be Sasuke's boyfriend sat across from a girl with similar eyes to him, drinking some tea on the porch. The orange-haired girl stopped her playful assault on a boy with brown hair to look up at them, and soon they felt all eyes on them.

A man, Madara, stepped out of the main house when he felt unfamiliar chakra. When he stepped out he was met with a group of maybe twenty shaking and soaked children, along with three older teens. Madara quickly called for Hashirama, who made his way outside. Spotting the children, they rushed over to them. Before they could get within three feet of them, one of the younger children flashed a short sword at him. They weren't particularly threatened but stayed back so the child didn't attack and somehow hurt himself or others near. A small, shaky voice came from the small raven-haired boy. "Has...Jugo-San...been...here...yet...?"

Hashirama shook his head back and forth, looking down at the children. "No, we haven't seen anyone else come around here for a while now. Why don't we get you all into some nice dry clothes and we can talk about it?"

Konji shook his head back and forth. "Sasuke-Sama sent Jugo to tell you in advance. I guess the storm made it hard for the summon to fly. We need to get into the Uchiha secret meeting place. We know where it is, we're just supposed to ask Madara-Sama or Itachi-Sama to open it for us. We're supposed to stay in there until Sasuke-Sama gets here or we're sure Orochimaru-Sama is dead. He was supposed to give me further instructions but he had to make an emergency shift to the plans." trying not to let his teeth chatter in the cold.

Hashirama frowned, glancing at Madara who nodded quickly. The older Uchiha motioned the children closer, Hashirama making his way swiftly towards the house to gather some food and blankets. Madara headed to the back area, slicing the palm of his hand to open up a seal which allowed them all in. He had the others follow as well, not liking the fact they didn't get the second part of the instructions and hoping Sasuke would be alright.

Once everyone was in the underground shelter Hashirama made quick work of drying the children with towels, Madara lighting a fire and sealing up the door once more. Hashirama frowned as he toweled off Konji. "Honestly, sending children out into the rain and telling them to take a break for the village, I hope this wasn't Sasuke's entire plan."

Seigetsu gave an annoyed look as he sat off to the side, unaffected by the weather. "Tsk, Sasuke has a plan to tie up all the loose ends. They weren't alone. Touya and I were watching them. Oh, and Konji too of course. I doubt anything short of Kabuto or Orochimaru himself could take on Sasuke's precious little brat. Not that Konji's ever fought without Sasuke near. Makes me wonder how strong he is on his own." the teen snorted.

Konji sent him a glare, throwing a kunai directly beside his head at the comment. "Seigetsu-San," he spoke with annoyance. "You will do kindly to keep your trap shut, or I will shut it for you." he scowled, Hashirama raising a brow at the two. After a brief glare off, Konji turned his attention back to Hashirama. "Sasuke-Sama had originally planned for me and him to lead the children to Seigetsu-San. Then he was supposed to bring them to this place, which Jugo-San was supposed to have already explained everything since he was taking the hawk to get here. The rain must have cut him off. He had it so Karin-San should be up at the Hokage office alerting him or her that we are here so it doesn't look suspicious."

Hashirama nodded, having noticed the ANBU before shooing them away when he spotted the children. "I was supposed to go with Sasuke-Sama to sneak into Orochimaru-Sama's office and take all the important documents to bring back to Konoha. He was supposed to kill Orochimaru-Sama while I took the documents and followed to the village to deliver the documents to Ibiki-Sama then return to watch the younger children here with Seigetsu and Karin. Sasuke-Sama said he would be back within a week at most, but if he didn't return, to make sure everyone stayed safe and not to wait up on him."

The once Hokage could tell how much it upset the boy and frowned a bit. If he didn't return? He had done quite a bit of research on the sannin, but a week seemed like a bit much to fight him. Hashirama was frowning quietly in thought when he noticed the necklace which was secured around the nine-year-olds neck. His eyes zeroed in on the blue crystal, moving to touch it. When he did, his suspicions were confirmed. That was his necklace! What was this child doing with such a powerful force?

When he touched it, however, Konji quickly smacked the mans hand away. "Don't touch that! You're incredibly rude." the child scolded a shocked Hashirama. He shook his head back and forth as Madara noticed the boy's jewelry now that Hashirama had pointed it out.

Madara took a step forward, moving to lift the boy's chin, much to his displeasure as he jerked away. After all, only his sensei ever showed him affection besides a few playful noogies from Seigetsu or teasing comments from team taka in general. Madara took hold of the boy's arm gently, tugging him forward. "You're Konji then. Sasuke has told us all about you. Your eyes seem a bit light to be an Uchihas, but I suppose that's the Senju and whatever the hell that snake is mixing." thought his voice wasn't disappointed. "Definitely has the Uchiha flare in spirit though." he mused, watching the flustering Uchiha rip free and stomp over to check on the other children.

Both of the elder ninjas could tell Konji was intrigued and admiring them, but hiding it in preference to focus on the task at hand. The boy watched with Touya to make sure all the younger children were warm and huddled up, bringing forth a fire in one of the meeting hall's lights. Honestly, they had to worry. Itachi was at the tower, working on his 'training' with Kakashi to be the next Hokage.

Itachi had worked as a student to Kakashi for nearly three years now, having started just after Sasuke had left. Kakashi had taken up the role of Hokage as all three of his students were long gone. Naruto had been swept away from him by the toad sage, Sasuke had left with Orochimaru, and Sakura had actually taken up training under Tsunade as Sasuke had suggested. Oh, how his sweet granddaughter had changed. She had upright refused the Hokage position, and what's more, refused in a hurry when Hashirama suggested looking to see who could have possibly been Konji's mother. She and he didn't talk much, much to Hashirama's grief. He was sure there was another reason he wasn't seeing, but for now, he couldn't worry about it.

Hashirama and Madara had taken a place on the council, and quickly realized the corruption and fired the elders as if Itachi's scenario wasn't enough. So now he and Madara were on the council, Jiraiya popping in occasionally to make suggestions when asked. They had also put Shukaku as the lead advisor, finding his blunt honesty refreshing. Kakashi had trouble dealing with the pain of sending shinobi to their possible deaths, but he was handling it alright with Hashirama there to lend a shoulder and Madara there to make sure it truly was necessary.

One day, Itachi would be qualified to be the Hokage. Even with his lack of eyesight, he was a power to be reckoned with. Now nineteen years old, the teen was able to hold his own fairly well against Madara and Hashirama in their spars. Until then, he had plenty of support to keep him balanced. Though, the poor boy did still miss his eyesight dearly.

It had been more than once Madara and walked into Itachi's room to see him sitting in front of a mirror he could never see, touching his face as if to figure out what he looked like at this point. Or lay on the couch after a long day of work to hear Sasuke speaking of what he had done, the young man wondering what his sweet little brother looked like at this point.

Hashirama and Madara could only hope they would be able to tell Itachi soon. By the way Konji spoke, Sasuke didn't know if he would make it back. That on top of the storm seemingly ruining things? It didn't look good for Sasuke.


	41. Mangekyo Sharingan: Dolos

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I have a different power Sasuke has gained in this fanfic for his Mangekyou since the power is supposed to reflect their deepest desires I believe and clearly Sasuke no longer craves simple destruction to his targets. I haven't gone into a lot of detail about it in this chapter but it will be explained in the next few. It's probably not too hard to guess what the base of it is, I just didn't have the time to write more on it for now. When I further explain it this chapter and Sasuke's sudden 'talk no jutsu' skills should be easier to understand where they appeared from. That, and remember, he's gotten better with emotions over the years teaching Konji as well as being mentored by Hashirama and Madara.

Sasuke tilted his head to the side ever so lightly, just enough to make eye contact with a certain medical ninja. "Kabuto-San, you're here then." he acknowledged, adding the honorific out of habit rather than true respect. The silver-haired ninja stepped forward from the shadows, a cocky smirk lining his lips.

"Sasuke, you should know better than to be out past your curfew. Then trying to rebel against Orochimaru-Sama. I'm starting to think you've forgotten your place, Uchiha." a kunai sliding down from his sleeves as he commented, "Allow me to remind you of it."

Then, as quickly as he spoke, he was on Sasuke. Sasuke felt as the man slid his arms around his throat, attempting to strangle him. Swiftly he moved his hands inwards, shielding them from the older male's hands so he could weave the sign to escape.

Sasuke appeared behind Kabuto with his sword drawn, ready to put his plan into action. As his sword cut down onto Kabuto and towards his shoulder the blue-haired ninja easily caught it, throwing Sasuke over his shoulder and smashing a few feet over into the ground. He didn't even grimace as his jaw went smashing face-first into the ground, Kabuto grabbing a hand full of his long hair.

The younger ninja could hear Kabuto sneer as he smashed his face to the ground repetitively, holding Sasuke's hands to his side to prevent him from weaving signs. "All that training, all that work both Orochimaru-Sama and I put into you, and yet you still have the audacity to think you can betray us? For what? Who could be waiting for you back in that village after three years of complete silence and betrayal? They won't even remember you!" he hissed, smashing Sasuke's face into the ground particularly hard.

Biting his lip, Sasuke made no move to fight. This wasn't supposed to happen. Kabuto shouldn't have found out until Orochimaru was dead that Sasuke was there. They were supposed to fight with him having the advantage over Kabuto, not the other way around. He knew the moment Kabuto appeared in the shadows that the plan had shifted. At least Konji was away and hopefully safe. Sasuke didn't know if he would be able to pull it off.

"That's...what you think...isn't it? You're so convinced...no one will remember...you. Not...me." he corrected despite the blood dripping from his battered face. After all, with a sensei like Orochimaru, his pain tolerance was well beyond normal standards. Kabuto hissed, and Sasuke turned his head slightly to look up at the man, elbowing him in the stomach and knocking him back.

Sasuke sat up slowly, almost casually, wiping the blood from his face before throwing himself on Kabuto. The man gave a hiss, but Sasuke paid this no mind as he stuck a kunai directly in his palms, pinning him to the ground. "You don't know anything about what I think! Even if you did you could never understand with that childish little mind of yours. Teaching Konji about the value of comrades...about how you have to respect others not just out of fear but out of admiration...about how some bond surpasses the years...! It's all lies your telling the boy! No one remembers anyone past their usefulness!" Kabuto hissed in eerie calm anger at the other.

He was surprised as he felt Sasuke's hand rest on his lower stomach, directly where the Uchiha had struck him. He felt healing waved come over him, quickening the process his own body had already begun. "I know more than you would think, Kabuto. I know about you being found near a destroyed village. About you being taken back to the leaf where you lived in the orphanage. About how Orochimaru scouted and manipulated you after you were forced to kill the only woman who ever took real notice of you. She never even remembered you. The ironic thing is, I know more than you. Did you know Danzo fed her fake photos of you? She still remembered who you were, just not what you looked like. Nonou never forgot you, Kabuto-San."

Sasuke could feel Kabuto's chest begin to breathe in and out in a rush of pushed back emotions, the teen gentle pressing it up and down to regulate the breaths. Kabuto's felt his hands still bleeding out, and realized his hands couldn't heal around the blade. He tried to tear himself away, largening the hole in his palms. "You're lying! Nonou forgot me, just as everyone will. The only way to be remembered is through a legacy. The legacy of Orochimaru-Sama and my village! You have no proof!" he demanded, losing his temper for once.

Reaching into his belt, he pulled out another scroll. Honestly, he considered asking Ibiki for a job down at the interrogation office with how good he had become at emotional manipulation. Unfortunately, it seemed necessary at times even when he wished it wasn't. Unrolling it he held it just above Kabuto's head. It was a detailed report of Kabuto and his past. A record Sasuke had found one night when he was searching Orochimaru's secret room to look and see who was worth saving. It was clearly written by Orochimaru, a record so he would have all the details on his right-hand man. Just as he had of everyone else in the sound village.

Sasuke said nothing for a moment, watching as detestation and confliction crossed over Kabuto's face. Sasuke had to admit he felt for the man. Finding out your life was a lie was hard-- he would know. Kabuto seemed to slouch underneath Sasuke, growling out and hiding his eyes under his bangs. "So it seems you truly are Orochimaru-Sama's student...going into our personal backgrounds and devastating us right before you end it...truly destroying your enemy..." he whispered. "I understand...I truly killed an innocent Nonou...then enslaved hundreds...doing experiments on them...I don't deserve my life then...that's your point."

Kabuto felt a pair of strong yet gentle fingers take hold of his jaw, forcing him to look up at Sasuke. He stayed quiet, unable to stop his thumping heart. Sasuke had him in the perfect position to kill him with a sword through the chest and his hands prevented him from weaving signs. He could only hope for a quick death. Which he doubted, considering how he treated Sasuke and Konji.

"That is not my point at all, Kabuto-San. You have done many terrible things, but you aren't a terrible person. There's a reason I haven't killed you and instead told you all this. It wasn't to be sadistic. It was to let you understand. Sometimes people make terrible choices because they don't understand. Orochimaru-Sama has surely told you about me. About the death of my clan at the hands of my elder brother. I would have gone on to kill a good man if Madara and Hashirama hadn't stopped made it possible for me to learn the truth. They gave me a new road to follow with comrades I can trust. Let me do the same for you. Kabuto, join me."

The silver-haired ninja's eyes widened at that, his glasses enhancing the shocked look on his face as Sasuke continued. "My old sensei is the Hokage while my elder brother is learning under him as an apprentice. Madara and Hashirama are on the council. My friends are all leaf village shinobi. I know if I ask and you truly do want to return, they'll let you after taking certain precautions. You can come live in the Uchiha compound. I'm sure you've heard what we're transforming it into. You would be a great addition to our family."

Sasuke could hear Kabuto lightly mutter the word 'family', as if unsure if it were a poison or antidote. After a long moment, Kabuto spoke. "What...what do I need to do?" his eyes flashing with determination.

Smiling lightly, Sasuke pulled the knife from the young adult's hand. In a flash, the skin began healing inwards until there wasn't a trace of a wound left. "Follow me. I had planned on confronting you after killing Orochimaru and sending Konji on his way with the information scrolls, but not I suppose it'll just have to be us two doing both parts of the plan. We need to seal the scrolls within scrolls and bring them to Konoha as one large peace offering. I'll carry the scroll, but I need to kill Orochimaru first. Would you like to help with him or start on the evacuation process?"

"Evacuation process?" Kabuto questioned, earning him a slight nod. "Why does the village need to be evacuated? Wouldn't it be simpler just to make a large noise rather than me going out and speaking to each person individually?"

Sasuke shook his head lightly, a somber look crossing his face. "Some people here will not live past today. I have looked at everyone's information scroll and checked to see how accurate each one is by staying close to them. I've been here for nearly three years. I know every person in and out. That includes who is a victim of the sound and who spends their days here sadistically harming others and doing unspeakable evils to others when they leave the village. Many S-Rank ninjas have lost their humanity and will not be able to retrieve it. I will end the truely evil ones quickly and quietly in their beds. You will lead the redeemable ones to the leaf village. Understand?"

Kabuto nodded in understanding. It was a painful truth- some people couldn't be saved. What made Sasuke realize he could be, Kabuto wondered. For now, he would do as Sasuke asked. "I'll evacuate the city so we can finish faster. I swear, I will do as you bid." bowing lightly as he was used to doing for Orochimaru.

He felt a light hand on his shoulder, pulling him up out of a bow. "Don't. I'm not your master. I'm your equal, as you are mine. We're both ninjas. Let us go now and get things started."

TKTKTKTKTKTKTKTKTKKTK

Sasuke took a light breath as he entered into the room of his sensei. He entered the room silently, moving with stealth towards the man he had come to know oh so well over the last few years. It was odd, really. On one hand, this man was a monster. He trained both Konji and himself to the death and experimented on anyone he saw as interesting. He forced Sasuke to change nearly everything about him. He tried to rewrite Sasuke's entire moral coding and make him into a merciless killer.

But even so, he was his sensei. The man would train him with all his will. The man would praise and reward him when he did well. He would run his fingers through Sasuke's hair after he fell to the floor from a particularly hard day of training. He would make sure Sasuke was eating and sleeping well. He even told Sasuke more about his past when the teen had asked. About him losing his parents and being stronger for it. About how the white snake became known as his trademark. Hell, the man even showed a fair amount of patience with him.

Orochimaru never took to actively harming him outside of training or when he was breaking the rules he had set. When Sasuke become frustrated in his early years and simply settled for yelling at the snake sannin, he had taken it. When Sasuke was sure he knew better than him as far as a technique went, Orochimaru would calmly explain it otherwise. Probably the most painfully embarrassing but necessary point which had made him connect was when Orochimaru had given him that talk.

Sasuke had been distracted for weeks during his second year at the sound village and been mortally wounded nearly three times in one day during training and he supposed Orochimaru just couldn't handle to boy toppling over once more. Sasuke just couldn't get Neji out of his mind, and the most humiliating part was, it was definitely not in the way he should be thinking of his friend. Or, well, he thought he saw the other boy as a friend until Orochimaru made it very clear that whoever he was thinking about was far more than a friend. Sasuke had, of course, left out names but it was humiliating none the less.

He shook his head back and forth, running a hand over his face and narrowing his eyes. He couldn't do this. He had to remember. Orochimaru was a terrible person. He surely only took the time to do those things to make him loyal and unwilling to kill him. He only did it so Sasuke could tell Konji those things for him. Even if this wasn't the case Sasuke would not be like Lord Third. He couldn't let his personal doubts put hundreds in danger. He had to do this to protect his, family. Yes, his family. He was sure he only felt so willing to give into Orochimaru's affection because he missed them. That was it.

So as Sasuke moved towards the bed, looking down at the sweaty and sickly man. He was asleep. Sasuke could at least give him a silent and painless death rather than have him live on in agony, he reasoned. Sasuke lifted his sword, stabbing it down into the man's throat swiftly. He watched as Orochimaru's eyes bulged in his body's last moments, the snake reaching up to grab Sasuke's wrist shakily. Sasuke bit his lip, unable to let go out that last bit of humanity. "I'm sorry, sensei. It's time for you to go. Konji and the good people of the village will be safe." he tried, but heard a hateful hiss from behind.

Slowly he turned to see the large snake, sighing. "I didn't want to have to make this painful. But I suppose you'll leave me no choice, will you?" he asked, dodging as the monstrous form of his mentor.

"Sasuke my boy, I hope you realize what you've just done. I suppose I'll have to go for Konji's body earlier now that my current one is useless, though, you won't be around to suffer his loss so don't worry!" he hissed, leaping towards his student as multiple snakes extended from his body. Sasuke easily sliced through the many snakes, watching as they fell to the floor around him.

Sasuke could feel the blood splatter to his cheeks as the serpents got so close. When he fell to the floor he felt the dead snakes beneath his feet. The blood pooled over him as he fought, drizzling over his hair when he would reach up to slice off an attack from the front. He focused on taking out the threat, knowing one slip up meat his death. Sasuke carried on for a while before finally being able to get in a moment to activate his Sharingan.

A pair of red eyes stared over towards the snake, the pinwheel of the Mangekyou Sharingan shining in the darkness. Sasuke let out a breath, raising his eyes to meet Orochimaru's. "Mangekyou Sharingan, Dolos," he spoke, and like that, Orochimaru came to a dead stop. Sasuke hated using the technique, knowing it would harm him and was a dirty trick, but he knew it was necessary this time. He glanced over towards Orochimaru's sword, taking his own from his sensei's throat and heading out. He didn't need to see the terror or his jutsu released on the man.

He was out of the building soon enough, rushing into the houses of the damned. Kabuto had already cleared everyone else out and was waiting by the exit. Sasuke supposed he could always use his power again to make it so he didn't have to deal with the details, but he also felt that would be wrong. If he was going to kill someone he had to live up to the fact he was truly taking their life, just like Kakashi had always said. Orochimaru had simply been a special case because of his poisonous skin, he reasoned. Besides, he knew the guilt he later felt for killing the man would not to easy to overcome anyway. Hashirama and Madara had taken away the majority of the cold heartless shield he once held up to protect himself.


	42. Home sweet home

Once the town was cleared, much to Sasuke's grief, he sent Kabuto on his way back to the village. Kabuto had brought the scrolls to the Uchiha compound without hesitation, though he idely wondered why Sasuke was so quick to trust him.

He arrived at the compound only a few hours after Konji got there. To say the boy was displeased would be an understatement.

Konji was quick to cross his arms, turning from his conversation with Itachi and Kakashi. They had come when he was alerted by Karin and Jugo.

They had been discussing the plan Sasuke had thought of, but that was seemingly far from the boy's mind now. "Kabuto-San, what are you doing here?"

Touya was quick to side with the younger ninja, drawing his shuriken from his sleeves, on alert. "Was Uchiha-San defeated? Don't tell me Orochimaru couldn't even bother to come to kill us off himself?" eyes narrowing as he took a step in front of the children.

Madara and Hashirama both had to admit- they were impressed by the bravery of the young ninja for the sake of the children, who had begun to duck behind them in fear.

Konji sent Touya a dirty glare however as he heard his words. "Sensei wouldn't be defeated by someone like him! Kabuto-San probably ran away because he was scared of him!" half scolding the elder boy and half trying to convince himself.

Touya looked irked at the younger boy but didn't full-on begin to argue for two reasons. One, because he knew the child was scared of losing his sensei. Two, because they had a possible enemy not too far from them. "No one is immortal, Konji."

Konji sent him a defensive look but didn't resort as he focused on Kabuto, who had set the scrolls down and was raising his arms defensively. "I confronted Sasuke-San after you all left. He talked some sense into me, and I assisted him in leading the innocent prisoners out while he killed off the ones who were rotten to the bone. He had me bring the informative scrolls from Orochimaru's study here since he had a few loose ends to take care of elsewhere after he killed Orochimaru. Also, the man is dead, so he saids the children can go wherever you have space for them in the compound now and no longer need to be confined."

Itachi frowned at this, still not liking the fact the death of the child's father was being discussed so easily in front of him. Even if he wasn't a good father, it still seemed wrong.

Kabuto glanced over at Itachi. "Also, Sasuke-San wished for me to let Itachi know he would come bearing a gift for him. Apparently, it's something very special."

Madara rubbed his temples gently. "Please, Sasuke, don't get yourself killed out there." moving to motion the young silver-haired medical ninja in. "Come. We need to work on setting up the houses for the children and newcomers. The houses have been cleaned and rewired but the water will need to be turned on and whatnot."

Kabuto nodded, easily obeying as he followed them out of the hideout and into the compound to help get the children somewhere safe to be.

TKTKTKTKTKTKTKKTKTKTKTKTK

Sasuke easily evaded Danzo's swing of his sword, finding his skills to be amateur in comparison. "Tch, all alone, hiding in some little forest not even on the map. Oh, how the mighty Danzo had fallen under the attack of Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha." making sure to emphasize the 'Uchiha' note, knowing Danzo's hate for them.

Danzo had yet to land a single hit on him, and for that, he had his Susanoo. Sasuke had gained this power when his left eye had awoken, only two months after he had begun training Konji.

He was almost grateful to Orochimaru for forcing it to activate so early. It gave him plenty of time to master it.

As much as he loved watching Danzo slowly bleeding out, his eyes half-lidded as he struggled for survival, and as sweet as it was to see the murderer of his clan and the cost of most of his and his brother's problems squirming, Sasuke knew he had to end it.

Even if he hated this man and wished he would suffer for an eternity, he knew it was at the point where he was being needlessly cruel.

Even if he had killed hundreds by this point, he wouldn't sink to the man's level. It just wasn't his nature, deep down. As such, with one last swing, Sasuke brought his sword crashing down into Danzo's chest.

The man's life drained from his right eye, and Sasuke made quick work of stealing the eyes right back. He knew these eyes. The eyes of the strongest in his clan. Shisui...Fugaku...Itachi...

He somberly slipped them all into the liquid container he had brought, needing to preserve them until he could return them home, where they belonged.

He noticed a shark tooth neckless which had old strings of blonde hair tied to it. He gave a disgusted look, lifting it up and placing it in his pocket to keep it safe.

He didn't know if they would want it, but he at least knew they deserved the chance to have their stolen pride returned.

As such, he was finally finished. He was worn and tired. It had been four days since he sent Konji off and told him he would follow within five days. His poor student was probably within moments of a breakdown, and for that, he felt guilty.

It had just taken longer for him to kill the monstrous people in the village than he had thought. He hoped he was okay.

Knowing it was a half a day journey he had to head out. He didn't have the time to rest. He could rest when he got back. Surely Madara would hold off his sure to come lecture until he was at least semi healed up.

TKTKTKTKTKTKTKKTKTKTKTKTK

Indeed, Konji was panicking. It had been four days since his sensei had sent him off.

Everyone was organized into different houses, the children each staying with either trusted adults from the village or with one of the compounders.

He on the other had was staying in the main house, Madara explaining Sasuke would come here first when he returned.

Konji had done nothing but sleep, eat, guard, and wait for Sasuke. His sensei was always early. It wasn't like him to be late.

Despite his previous excitement to meet his clan members and Sasuke's friends, he bluntly refused anyone who came to him on anything but official business. He didn't have time to socialize! He needed to watch for his sensei.

He knew logically that Sasuke wouldn't get there any faster by him staring out the window, but he didn't care. Sasuke told him emotions were worth listening to. So listen he would.

Itachi had settled for sitting beside him, listening closely for his little brother's return when he wasn't needed at the Hokage's office. He wore the plain white bandages he normally wore in public to avoid scaring children with his lack of eyes, but he noted amusedly, that Konji didn't seem scared of anything.

Well, besides losing Sasuke. But that was different. Konji would bluntly tell Hashirama to shut up and go away when the man would be blabbering in his ears about not being worried about Sasuke. He easily agreed to spar with Madara when the man had voiced his doubts about someone so young being set to guard the compound. He hadn't even let a single tear escape when Madara sent particularly harsh kicks. Hell, Itachi wasn't sure if Konji was brave or stupid. One thing was for sure though- he looked up to Sasuke. A lot.

So when Sasuke came riding up in the forest behind the compound on one of his smaller snakes, Konji had made a beeline for his sensei. It was odd, seeing him so happy and expressive after watching him brood around for four days straight.

Hashirama, Madara, Itachi, as well as most of the other compounders, had rushed to meet up with Sasuke.

Konji was the first one to deliver his affections, however. The small boy had practically tackled Sasuke into a hug once he got off the snake.

Sasuke was happy to encourage his students behavior as he lightly ruffled the boy's hair. "Tsk, so little confidence in me, Konji." he mused, the boy sending him a dirty glare.

Naruto wouldn't let Konji have all the fun though. He practically tackled him as well but tightened his grip into a headlock. "Bastard! We were worried about you!"

Konji looked at Naruto as though he'd grown three heads, kicking the blonde in the hand where he held Sasuke. Naruto yelped, more out of surprise than pain, letting go of Sasuke.

Sasuke looked down at his student in amusement. "Don't worry. He's just joking, Konji. He couldn't hurt me if he tried." despite some yells from Naruto and the fact Seigetsu was threatening to cut the blonde's vocal cords out, all was well.

Itachi approached Sasuke, reaching out to lightly cup his younger brother's face.

Silence overfell them at last, and Itachi felt his breath hitch. "You're...so much taller..." he spoke quietly. Sasuke nodded slightly, and Itachi bit his lip.

What he wouldn't give to see his precious brother. Sasuke sighed a bit, sensing his thoughts easily.

"I brought you your eyes back along with the other pairs Danzo had stolen. He's dead." glancing at Kisame out of the corner of his eye. "I also found where Danzo stored your teeth and a bit of Deidara's hair he had cut off. I'll give them to you all later."

Itachi looked visibly surprised at that, bringing his younger brother into a hug. Sasuke stiffened a bit, not used to having someone larger than him hugging him, but let it go. It was only Itachi, after all.

Once things started to settle down a bit, he heard a light cough of someone trying to get his attention and he turned. His dark eyes met with Neji's light ones in an instant, and he knew it was time for a long-overdue chat.


	43. I love you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first time writing a confession scene, so I apologize. This will be super OOC.
> 
> AU, Sasuke graduated in the same year as Neji

Sasuke sat in the compound park, Neji right beside him. He hadn't cleaned himself up from his long self induced mission yet, but he felt this was more important. A soft hand reached up to wipe some blood that was seeping from his shoulder. "You're a mess," Neji muttered in a light chiding, unable to think of what to say now that they were finally alone.

Sasuke smiled over at his friend, shaking his head back and forth lightly. "I know. Yet you found the need to drag me out here instead of letting me get healed up." he mused, almost teasingly.

Neji's ears warmed as he heard this, sending the other a light glare. He stood from the bench so he was in front of Sasuke, moving his hands around in exhaustion as if trying to further express his point. "You want to get onto me about disturbing you, Uchiha? I just thought I'd see how you were after being gone for almost three years and update you on the compound. Fine, you can just have Itachi tell you." he scoffed.

The brunette startled as he felt a nervous hand land on his shoulder. "Neji, you know what we need to talk about. It isn't the compound. I don't know if you think the same way as I do, but you should at least hear me out. I know leaving without telling you all was selfish and foolish. But I have reasons. Reasons I didn't include in my notes back home."

Neji shrugged his hand off, refusing to turn back to Sasuke for a moment. He spoke with a bitterness he hadn't felt in years, not since he had forgiven his uncle. "What reason could you possibly have, and what does it have to do with me? You barely even thought of me in your time away when I was out there searching just as hard as Naruto for you. In your letters, you always filled everyone in on what was happening and left little side comments to them specifically." clenching his eyes in the embarrassment of his weakness. "You barely even addressed me. You left Lee with longer comments than me. You barely even knew Lee!"

Guilt welled up in Sasuke as Neji turned, furious and teary eyes glaring daggers of betrayal at him. "Neji, I didn't leave you short comments because I didn't think of you. I left you short comments because I had so much to say...but they weren't things I thought you would enjoy the others hearing about you."

Neji moved to lightly wipe at his eyes, anger, and disbelief still clouding them. "Oh really? Well, no one's here now." he pointed out stubbornly, quickly doing his best to compose himself. Normally it would have been easy, but three years of emotional torture made him feel nothing if not drained.

"I guess you're right." Sasuke smiled nervously. Shit. Shit. He prayed to the spirits he wouldn't scare Neji off. He reached out, lightly taking Neji's hands in his own. He felt the other ninja stiffen, but not pull away. "I do doubt you would have wanted these in the notes though."

Neji quirked a brow, impatient. "I fled the village because I was scared. I was scared I would be too weak to protect the ones I cared for after Itachi had his eyes stolen. I wanted to get stronger so I could protect Naruto...Sakura...the compound...and of course...you. I didn't realize until a few months into living in the sound I was also running from you. I didn't understand at the time, but I do now." he gave a small smile, looking directly into Neji's uneasy eyes. "I had a liking for you when I left. I was attracted to you. The longer I was away the more I started to realize how much I missed you. I missed your snarky comments. I missed you telling me I was a worthy opponent when we spared. I missed you always being there when I wanted to vent about everything. I missed listening to you be so open with me when we spoke. I missed eating at the food stalls during our breaks. I missed everything about you from your chakra to your gorgeous lavender eyes!"

Both of their faces were a deep cherry color, but Sasuke didn't stop. He couldn't. If Neji rejected him, at least he would have everything off his chest this way. "No one else had ever understood how damn hard it was to live up to expectations, except you. When we would stop at food stands after training and talk about our progress it meant a lot to me. No one ever took the time to discuss my weaknesses besides Kakashi or people trying to put me down. But it was different when we talked about it. You gave me honest answers to my problems and I tried my best to return the favor."

"When I invited you and Shikamaru over for the first time and you accepted so easily it was like having a friend- something I hadn't had in a long time. When you first came into the house and sparred with me it was nice to have some real competition. I liked it when you fought me in our sparring matches. The fact you fought with me as an equal rather than someone above or below you." he explained.

Sasuke hesitated before glancing away, still holding the other's wrists gently. "When you first met Madara and Shikamaru you tried to talk me into leaving with you because you thought I was in danger. It was nice, having someone concerned for me. Then you decided you would double-check and went to confront them. Shikamaru and you stood between them and me, and I felt so grateful for that single moment. Then when Hashirama asked about your seal I wanted to beat the living hell out of him. Seeing you so hurt made my stomach twist. You didn't deserve that. Or having it activated that time."

He muttered the last part, not liking the memory nearly as much as the one from the food stands. "The only good that ever came from that was you agreeing to stay with us at the compound. It was so nice having you there to spar with and just be around. You tried to care for me the night before I was invited to the Sound. You did so much for me, and I wasn't able to help you at all. I just felt so guilty. I left to get the power to try to help you. I didn't realize how hard it would be until I was gone."

Neji opened his mouth but resisted interrupting Sasuke as he knew the younger teen was pouring his heart out at the moment. "When I met Konji it was just like being around a small version of you. He was so polite and kind deep down that it hurt to listen to his voice sometimes. Once, in my second year of training him, he actually got jealous of how much I seemed to admire you. He tried dressing up like you and started mimicking the way I had described you. It made me miss you so damn much. It just...pushed me over the edge. Every day I couldn't help but think about you. Were you eating well? Had you been killed off while I was away? Did you remember me? Had you...had you found someone else you cared deeply for." he clenched his jaw. "But the thing I wondered most was...did you love me back?"

Sasuke felt as though he had been shamed beyond anything he had thought possible. He felt a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, but also as though a deep wound had been inflicted on him. The uncertainty and fear he felt in this moment were worse than any puncture, gash, or laceration an enemy ninja had ever placed on him.

He felt as a hand rose to gently rest on his arm, and but he couldn't stand to look up from his boots, which he had unconsciously focused on when he was finished. Neji's sharp words came, but they held no malice as he had half expected. "You are a fool, Uchiha. To think you were unable to help me if you weren't physically strong..." he scolded lightly.

Sasuke glanced up in confusion, blinking a bit at his long-time love interest. "You've helped me so much before we even met back in our academy days. When I was young and naive about the way things were, I was stricken by you as a passing stranger. While I was held down by the chains of my clan as a part of the branch family, you were held down as the second both son of the head household. While I was given the role of forever serving the main household you were given the role of forever being in your brother's shadow. Yet you...rebelled. You trained under him and kept going even when you were told by everyone that you would never level up to him. It was inspiring."

Neji's tone took a softer tone now. "I thought you were some sort of saint. I looked up to you when in passing. You answered every question easily. You excelled in all the training. You were dotted on by nearly our entire class, weak and strong. Intelligent and foolish. Kind and cruel. You were perfect. Until that day...when your clan was killed."

"You never answered as excited. You became...hostile. Your perfect scores dropped because you refused to work with the others. In combat training, you became...excessive. You sent three students to the hospital in fits of rage when the teacher wasn't looking. It was like you just...died and got possessed by a demon. It...was odd. It was odd to see the one I saw as unbreakable finally crack. The most shameful part though...that I was glad."

Admitting this made his head naturally duck, but he steadied his breath and held Sasuke's hand gently as if willing him to listen to the rest. "I was glad I wasn't the only broken one anymore. I was glad you had been locked in a cage just like I had been all those years ago. I was such a sadistic little brat as I watched from the sidelines. But then we became genin...and tied for the highest ranking in the graduating class. I had allowed you to suffer alone for six long years, so when you sat beside me in that food stand the afternoon after graduation, I was so...startled."

He supposed Sasuke never had a way to know of his satisfaction, but Sasuke had been so open. He felt he should be just as honest with him. "I don't know if you remember, but it was the same night of graduation. My uncle had chewed me out for making Hinata look bad and surpassing her publicly. I was miserable. You sat down, looking like shit. I knew you weren't happy, and I guessed it was because you were alone. At first, I saw it as a pitiful call for help. I was going to ignore you and eat my soba in peace. Then I realized I was the pitiful one, using other's misery to make myself feel better about my lot in life. It's like I told Hashirama when he was walking me home after the first time at the Uchiha compound: others have it worse. I just neglected to mention how at one point seeing the other's worsened life made me feel more stable about my own."

Neji's words were guilt-filled, but he didn't stop. He couldn't. "I felt like absolute garbage as I watched you order us both fresh soba and declare calmly that I was your rival in training from then on because of our tie for first place. You were so determined...then I realized you hadn't given up. You had just set your sights on a different goal. You had set your destiny. Even if it was never nor will ever by my place to choose your fate, it hurt to see you resign to such a forged path. I realized just how much I used to look up to you despite being older than you back then."

"I also realized how nice it was to talk to others. We sat there and we talked for an hour straight, bowl after bowl. We spoke of the hardships of being the underdogs in the arena of the gifted. We spoke of our future goals. You...you told me I should live for myself instead of my clan. I remember telling you the same thing and you getting so mad." he smiled bitterly. "We got into an argument about it, which eventually simmered down to us complaining about how cruel the world was. For a short time...it was like a weight was lifted. Had I thought such treasonous things in my home I would have been punished. I was, later when I got home."

He smiled lightly, a fluster coming to his face. "The next day we met up with our sensei. I had such a headache. Gai kept going on and on about the 'power of youngth'. I went to sit in the park by a tree to clear my head and I see Shikamaru and you playing a game of Shoji. You saw me and you waved me over. It was weird...even the smallest acts of kindness and rivalry made me feel so happy. We played in silence for a few hours. Everything went great. It became...normal for us to just sit with each other when we happen to run into each other. You always knew when my seal had been activated. You never pushed for training. You let me ramble but never loudly complained when I was dealing with a headache. We only trained when I was alright. It was so nice to have someone considerate of me for the first time in years."

He felt a bit embarrassed at how much these lunch meetings meant to him when Sasuke had barely grazed over them in his many reasons for loving him. "When you invited me over I was so happy, even if I wasn't completely sure if you saw me only as a rival. I like to think I classified as a friend at the time. When I met Madara and Hashirama everything flipped. You were so much like your old self, and I forgot how much I missed that. You introduce me to Hashirama and letting me into your life was so honoring. I realized when you left that you had given me everything."

"I made good friends with Shikamaru because of you. I fixed my relationship with Hinata because of you. I got my branding removed because of you. I got everything I ever wanted. Friends, family, and freedom. Then I wanted one more thing when you were gone. I wanted just one more thing from you, that I feared I would never get because you had already given me so much. I wanted your love."

He suddenly felt a pair of lips on his, and he startled for a brief moment, stiffening. He felt Sasuke's hands shaking lightly, sliding down from his wrists to his hands. Neji slowly responded, firmly holding Sasuke's nervous hands and pressing his lips back against the other teens. It was not heated or demanding as he imagined a kiss would be. Rather, it was warm and affectionate. A declaration of his love. They parted after a brief moment, the kiss sloppy since neither knew what they were doing.

Neji felt Sasuke rest his tired head on his shoulder, and as such wrapped his arms around him to pull him into a steady embrace. Sasuke joked quietly, "For the brave and prodigious of our clans, that took far too long for my liking." referring to the amount of time they had waited to express their feelings.

Gently holding onto Sasuke, Neji mused, "Yes, well, for the record, I would have hunted you down and killed you myself if you put those things in the letters."


	44. Welcome home, Sasuke

Sasuke had headed in to take a shower, dragging Neji along with him so the other could fill him in a bit. By the hand. Sasuke didn't seem bothered by it, his enhanced happiness smoldering any embarrassment he might have. Neji on the other had was flustering slightly as they passed Madara, Hashirama, and Itachi inside, glancing in the other direction.

Hashirama gave an amused look, while Madara raised a brow at the easy display of affection from Sasuke. Well, the teen seemed to have matured emotionally during his three years away. Itachi heard a light sound of amusement from behind him and turned to look where he knew Konji would be. "Hm?" he inquired, Madara and Hashirama glancing over to see a slightly smirking Konji.

Seeing all attention move to him, Konji blinked a bit before returning to his earlier smirking posture. "Sensei talks about Hyuuga-Sama all the time. It's been inevitable that this would happen. Hyuuga-Sama's response in amusing." he spoke in a matter-of-the-fact tone.

Madara quirked a brow lightly. "Oh? I wasn't aware Sasuke was interested in Neji before now. How do you know that boy is Neji?" he inquired easily.

Konji tilted his head, his fierce persona practically gone now that Sasuke was back and safe. "Because Sensei showed me a picture of him. He doesn't look that different besides being a little bit taller now."

Hashirama squatted easily beside the boy, asking, "Did Sasuke show you any pictures of anyone else? I saw his pictures were gone but I hadn't imaged he would show them to many people."

Crossing his arms as if insulted, Konji gave Hashirama a look as though it were obvious. "Of course he showed me the pictures. He's been taking care of me for three years. I've seen pictures of his teammates, his family, the clan, his friends, the other genin squads, his many sensei, and a few others."

As he listed them off he counted on his fingers, his kimono sleeves which held the Uchiha symbol proudly on the backside. Hashirama quirked a brow as he saws the brackets with his clan's symbols on them, not remembering Sasuke mentioning the boy being a proud wearer of both clans. Sasuke hadn't spoken much about their relationship outside training, actually. Seeing how the boys seemed to admire him as though he were the strongest shinobi alive and the way Sasuke seemed affectionate enough towards the boy, he assumed the teen was a bit embarrassed or unable to explain their relationship.

"These are some nice bracelets you have. Where did you get them?" gently holding the boy's arm to keep the jewelry exposed to Madara.

Konji scowled at the elder man. "Stop eyeing all my jewelry. It's mine." he scolded, moving his hands away defensively, much to both of their amusement. "If you really must know, it was a present from Sensei for passing my first exam."

Hashirama nodded a bit, "Sasuke sent us messages back home occasionally. He mentioned your training was going well and that you had passed your exams with flying colors. Did Sasuke often give you gifts when you did well?"

Konji nodded, "Every time we passed he let me learn a new clan technique, revolving between Senju and Uchiha. That, and he let me get as much curry as I wanted from the curry restaurant."

Madara moved to sit on the other side of Konji, and Itachi settled for across from the young ninja. Madara questioned, "What is your affinity? I know the Senju tend to have earth while the Uchiha tend to have fire, mixed with whatever you got from Orochimaru."

"Orochimaru-Sama had yin release. My mother supposedly had earth. Grandmother probably had wind or earth. Grandfather probably had fire...hm. I dunno. We don't have much vegetation in the sound so Sensei couldn't find the tree that gives off the testing paper." he shrugged as he spoke. "Sensei usually teaches me fire or lighting techniques though. I only know a handful of the others since he isn't very good at earth or wind. He tries for showing me Senju techniques but he's not very good at them."

Itachi nodded a bit, "We'll have to check and see what you're affinity is. There wasn't a lot of vegetation? Sasuke did note a few things about the sound, but not much. He didn't want us to find him I suppose."

"Yeah, it's underground, hidden under a genjutsu. It's really large but also really deep down. So no sunlight or rain can get in to let plants grow. We have to get all our vegetables from a field near the southern areas and stock up." Konji explained.

Hashirama frowned, noting, "That can't be healthy for the villagers, trapped underground for years at a time. Sasuke mentioned you didn't get to go outside a whole lot. It must feel odd for you to feel the area around you so suddenly."

He hesitated, before nodding slightly. "It is. When we escaped earlier this week it was raining. I didn't know it would be that...different from a bath. Then the soil when you touch it is so unpacked, it just crumbles. The sunlight's weird too. It's like someone's flashing a torch in my eyes. The leaves are so crunchy. Nothing like lettuce. The wind keeps blowing in my face like a fan is being aimed at me. That snow's freezing too. It's like ice but soft."

He seemed in a daze, the many new things in the world above overwhelming him from all he had known before. The elder three glanced towards the small boy with pity- to have never felt such wonders was a tragedy.

Konji slowly dug himself out of his thoughts, subconsciously leaning back and forth idely. "Sensei said he's going to be busy for the next few weeks," he noted with a slight huff. "What is there to do around here, Senju-Sama?"

"You don't need to call me Senju-Sama, Konji. Just Hashirama is fine. I know Orochimaru was big on formality with you but in the compound, we don't use it very much. In a way, calling people by their first name is a sign of friendship or familiarity. Suffixes should only be used towards those you're meeting for the first time and those you pledge yourself to. As for your question, there's plenty. There are various training spots, restaurants, shops, and wooded areas. What do you usually do in the sound?"

He shrugged. "Listen to my tutors, train with sensei, eat with sensei, maybe read, then sleep mostly. The sound didn't have anywhere to explore. I might try checking out the woods." he decided.

Madara quirked a brow, "You two seem close. Do you know if you'll be living in the main house or with the others in the compound?"

Konji easily answered, "Sensei said he wants me living with him because it'll be safest that way. He doesn't think many people know Orochimaru has a son but just in case he said it wouldn't be smart for me to be by myself. So I guess the main house." not adding the 'sama' at the end of Orochimaru's name felt weird, but oddly satisfying.

Itachi nodded, this was true. If any of the snake's enemies found out they would surely come after the boy. It would be best to have him as protected as possible. Living with Hashirama, Madara, Sasuke, and he would do just that. They were far outrooted though. Itachi made a note to talk to Sasuke about adding onto the house. They hadn't wanted to expand without him knowing due to the number of memories in that house, but it needed to be done with how often they had people over.

Itachi added in, "You said Sasuke would be busy for the next few weeks. What all has he told you about what he has to do?" unsure what he would be busy with besides maybe checking the compounders over to see if they were all safe to have. Itachi figured he, the Hokage, and the council would have more work than anyone with all the new citizens.

Konji took a breath. "Sensei said some people would be scared to follow him to the leaf village. But he couldn't leave them or it would end badly. So he had to bride some people into following him out of the sound. Most of it consists of people needing to find their old family or be escorted back to their old villages. So he'll be taking them where they need to go. He said I can go with him to some of the missions but a few would be too dangerous. Plus he wants to run a full background check on anyone in the village. Then the price to pay for village citizenships. Most people have their yen to spend but there are a few exceptions to this. He also needs to work out a network as for where the children can stay. A lot of their parents were terrible people who had to be killed when we left the village. There were also a lot of orphans already because of the number of lives Orochimaru took. He doesn't want them alone because he said it could hurt their mental health. Sensei is very strict on the fact that mental health is just as important as physical."

Itachi nodded a bit. "I see. Well, it's good he has a plan at least. I'm proud he's thinking to help reunite any villagers with their families at least. It will be good for you to go out on some missions as well, it can help you get used to the outside world. This whole week Madara tells me you've been very sick looking. I suppose the sudden exposer to so many elements takes some getting used to. Do you know what he plans to do about figuring out where the children will go?" seeing Konji shake his head, he sighed a bit.

"If you wanted to ask you could have. You don't have to interrogate Konji." he heard Sasuke muse from behind him. He sensed Sasuke sitting down beside him, and smiled slightly over in his younger brother's direction.

Konji smiled and waved to his sensei, who waved back slightly before turning his attention to the elder ninja. Neji had sat down beside Sasuke. "I do have a plan set up actually, it just depends on who would agree to it since it requires multiple volunteers. I don't think grouping all the children up like cattle will be a good solution, though Kabuto already offered to help if it does come to that. They'll not get nearly enough attention if that happens. I was thinking about splitting them up into groups of three or four, then having any adults who volunteer watch them within their house until they grow old enough. Any volunteers would take legal guardianship of the children. I would just need to see if anyone in the compound would be willing as well as sort the children into groups based on family relations, friendships, and likes and dislikes to make sure things are as good as they can be. This would apply for anyone under the age of seventeen."

Madara rested his head on his hands, interested. "Why seventeen? Not that I disagree, I'm just curious as to why you chose that number."

Konji resisted the urge to pout, which Sasuke noticed. "Don't pout at me, Mimmo. Just because you've heard it a million times doesn't mean they have." Sasuke sighed, though he had to admit he was a bit amused. "Why don't you go explore the compound until dinner time. It'll be done around the same time as always."

The youngest ravenette agreed, taking that as his cue to leave as he stood up and decided to check out the compound, not noticing the bewildered looks on Madara, Hashirama, and Itachi's face as he left.

Sasuke continued, "I was allowed to read a lot of Orochimaru-Sama's research findings. The brain doesn't seem to finish maturing until twenty-five, but that's far too long to be watched over. So I did some work on the numbers and determined that by that point, the choice-making part of your brain is mostly matured." He then noticed the bewildered looks and only blinked at them. "What?"

Hashirama coughed his laughter into his hand, unable to focus on the new information as he had heard Sasuke's previous words. "So, is that your student or your son?" earning him a glare from Sasuke. Hashirama rose his hands up in defense, "Hey! I'm just saying. It's weird to see you so affectionate towards him. Doesn't mimmo mean baby?"

Sasuke flustered slightly, glancing away in annoyance. "It means baby or child in an old far away language. I found it when I was in the Sound's quite extensive library trying to translate an old text for Orochimaru-Sama." adding the suffix on habit. "Konji never got any affection from his father, or anyone really. Orochimaru-Sama was very strict about cutting unnecessary ties which could have nothing gained from them. So I've called him that for years because he doesn't deserve to be emotionally blocked off. He enjoys being coddled, and by this point, I think he more than has the right to have as much affection as he wants."

Itachi blinked a bit. His brother had grown up. He shook his head lightly, reaching over to pat the younger teen's head. He couldn't help but be proud. "You've done so much. You've saved so many lives by bringing them to the compound. You've done well for yourself, being smart enough to get them all to leave and having such a solid plan. Not to mention, I really can't deny being excited about getting my eyes back. At least this way, I've gotten a taste of what it'll be like when I do go blind so I'll fit for it easier when the time comes."

Madara and Hashirama both noticed Sasuke hesitating to say something, so both stayed quiet and gave him an encouraging look, motioning him to say what was on his mind. Sasuke finally spoke after a moment, "You won't go blind, and you won't die. I have my Mangekyou Sharingan. When it's time to put your eyes back in, we should swap out so neither of us has to die."

Madara and Itachi both quickly filled with worry. "What happened for your Mangekyou to activate? Are you alright?" his elder brother asked worriedly.

Sasuke blinked, "O-Oh. That. It's fine. Nothing happened. Orochimaru-Sama had just been experimenting on me and it took a turn for the worse. He wanted to test how the brain reacted to different types of pain. He was trying physical, social, emotional, every which way. Well, when he was testing the emotional way he attempted the fuse both my past and possible bad outcomes from the future and put me in a dream-like state. I was so sure it was real that it activated my Mangekyou."

Hashirama wrapped and arm around the teen, frowning a bit. Sasuke's voice was strong and confident, but his hands shook slightly, showing off his nerves. "What happened in the illusion?" seeing Sasuke shake his head he lightly nudged, "Sasuke, it'll help if you tell us."

The teen sucked in a breath gently. "In the illusion, I was let go from the sound village early. Konji got to come with me along with the rest of my sound team. We went to the village but when I entered...it was the massacre all over again." his voice quiet. "The first thing I saw was Kakashi, his insides poured everywhere onto the concrete. The village was deserted so I ran to go find Ibiki or Anko while covering Konji's eyes. They were pressed into the torture machines. I went and looked for everyone but it seemed like every time I thought I found someone they were dead. The whole village was destroyed, burn marks and broken glass shards everywhere. My teammates, my coworkers, all my sensei. They were all dead. Everyone was dead, then just as I realized it had to be a massacre and that I needed to get out, Konji and my new team dropped dead. There was blood on my hands. I didn't know how, but I had killed them all."

Sasuke wiped at his face, trying to calm down. "I activated it then. I later dissected it and realized it was a combination of my worst hell. Everyone I wanted to protect, dead. My last clan members, dead. You all, dead. Even Konji. Then the blood was probably Orochimaru knowing how much killing bothered me. Mixed in with the past experiences with the clan massacre and it just sent my brain into overdrive I guess."

Sasuke felt a pair of hesitant arms wrap around him, and he glanced over to see Neji. Offering a tired smile, Sasuke wiped his eyes. "It doesn't matter though. None of it happened. I should count myself lucky I only had to endure a nightmare and not an actual death like most do."

Madara lightly reached over to rest a hand on Sasuke's back. "It being an illusion doesn't make it any less valid, Sasuke. We know you had nightmares of the Uchiha massacre. I don't doubt this is any different. You'll carry the mental baggage with you for as long as you live, I know this." Sasuke nodded hesitantly, and Madara sighed, deciding for once to lighten the mood. "Have you discovered your new Sharingan techniques?"

Sasuke nodded at this, looking down a bit. "I got more mental powers than fighting powers. In my right eye, I have the power to control the movements of others. This can range from me making them lift a sword to having them say exactly what I want. The ultimate body manipulation power. In my left, I can sense people's thoughts and emotions. Or, well, I have to. It isn't a power that shuts off." he sighed. He had heard a lot with that power which he would have rather not known. "Overall they're good abilities." he agreed, however.


	45. Mission Complete

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This marks the end of this story. I hope you all enjoyed reading it, and thank you to anyone who took the time to comment on it!

Sasuke had a lot of work to do, even after the first day. The first thing he had done was swap eyes with Itachi. Both were beyond thrilled when they woke up with the eternal Sharingan- and Itachi with sight. Then he started the work to go through the housing. He hadn't messed with any of the already housed people, not wanting to interrupt anyone who was settled into their life. He didn't bother looking into them yet either, knowing he could do that later once the more important issues were dealt with. He had been on multiple trips with Konji to drop people off at their villages, reuniting families and friends alike. It did feel nice.

The children who he couldn't find a family anywhere had been split among willing adults. For instance, Seigetsu was now living with Kisame while the few who couldn't be split up remained with Kabuto. There was only one person he was having a bit of trouble with finding their family- Touya Yato. The one who had protected the children two weeks ago when he had worried Sasuke was planning something malicious.

Sasuke understood his situation well enough- but it didn't make tracking him down any less difficult. The twelve-year-old boy was a kekki genkai user from a nearly extinct clan, so he had agreed to live in the compound. As long as Sasuke tracked down his younger brother, Aoi.

Touya had the Flames of Rage Kekki genkai, the flames which burned with the user's emotions. Anywhere from joyful excitement to pitiful sorrow. Which made his quite dangerous to be around, if others weren't careful. Not that he was a bad person, no, quite the opposite. Touya was shy yet smart. Loving yet sarcastic. The only kinds of people Sasuke had ever seen the pre-teen get infuriated at were those who openly discriminated. It was no wonder, considering where he came from though.

Sasuke had read the file. He knew the boy had lost his family at a young age as well- when he was only six. Attacked by Nuke nins, who had wanted to sell him and his family off for their Kekki Genkai. They had attacked when his elder sister had been watching them, and as Sasuke later learned for Touya, she had tried to hide him and other siblings in the basement. His father had killed his sister and twin brother, but the nuke nins had killed his father before the man got to him and his younger brother. Sasuke had no idea what he could have been thinking at the time. Perhaps trying to save them the pain of enslavement? Perhaps old held anger for something, unleased in the last hour? Sasuke had no way to know, of course.

In the end, they had of course been sold off along with two other children they hadn't known, though they never made it to their buyer. Not when the carriage they were being transported on was blown off-trail in a terrible storm, allowing them to get away. That was what he had read into documents Orochimaru had been given by presumably the nuke nins. The rest he had found in Orochimaru's safe room where he kept information on all his subjects and where he had found them. Living in the land of fire as a thief, apparently, was where the boy had run off before he was caught.

That was all Sasuke knew of the younger brother- he had been long in that carriage ride, his name was Aoi Yato, and he may or may not have the Flames of Rage Kekki Genkai. It made finding him fairly difficult. But they had finally done it. Well, almost. The young boy had made a break for the nearest forest the moment Sasuke and Touya had called out for him. "Aoi Yato! Stop! We aren't here to harm you!" Sasuke called, leaping through the trees with Touya right beside him, the pre-teen's barely able to muffle his flames which burned with excitement and worry.

"Little brother! It's Touya, slow down!" shit, both Sasuke and Touya had to be impressed with the kid's speed. Not getting a response, Sasuke decided to take a risk. Leaping forward, he grabbed onto the young boy's shirt, gently pulling him to a stop. It was then the boy burst into bright blue flames- which Touya had explained to Sasuke were those of fear.

He recoiled back, grabbing onto his now burned hand in pain, murmuring a round of curses. Touya looked at Sasuke with light guilt for his brother's actions but reached out to hold the younger boy's arm and stop him from making another run for it. The flames on the younger quickly dispersed, though Sasuke had a feeling that was Touya's doing based on Aoi's baffled look. "Aoi! Why were you running off? Do you not remember me? It's Touya, your big brother."

Aoi looked unsure and bit his lip with a shrug. After a moment, the ten-year-old dared to ask, "How did you...kill...my flames...?" looking at the other's arm.

Touya smiled, "Someone I met in the land of flames taught me at one point. Spirits, it's so good to have you back. I've missed you so much." pulling the younger into a hug, while Sasuke stood awkwardly off to the side. Well, this was awkward.

TKTKTKTKTKKTKTKTKTKTK

Hashirama did his best to surprise Sasuke with an end of it all dinner.

Sasuke almost pitied the poor man, watching him work so smoothly to set up a surprise dinner with all of his closest friends. The man excused himself as having to check on the civilians after such a sudden returning when in reality, he went to round up the rest of the friends who had been too busy to go see him. It would have worked- the man was smooth- if not for Sasuke's Sharingan.

Perhaps he would have bought the idea that Neji wanted to spend some time sparring, and not realized he was pulling Sasuke away so Madara and Itachi could cook up a feast. It was a pity, they tried so hard to think of other things, but he could sense them purposely trying not to think of the dinner. When he headed back from sparring and saw a feast along with a large line of people sitting in the Uchiha Compound town square, grinning at him, he easily grinned back and let his eyes widen gently in surprise.

Sasuke moved to sit down at the end of the table, Konji on one side and Itachi on the other. Beside Itachi was Madara while Hashirama was seated beside Konji. Then on and on went the line, easily thirty people sitting happily along with him. The people closest to him sat near him, while the newly rescued sound villagers settled at the other end with their families and children. It was truly nice, really.

Madara grinned, raising his drink, "A toast, to Sasuke, and all he's done." the others easily moving to raise their glasses up in agreement. Then, it began.

Sasuke looked down at the perfectly cooked fish with a side of grilled tomatoes, using his chopsticks to carefully eat the tomatoes first. It had been too long since he had such fresh fruit. He could hear the talk all around him, subconsciously listening in to stay alert after training so harshly for the last few years. He wondered if this was almost what Madara and Hashirama felt, being so relaxed after working so hard for years.

"Yes, I think it would be beneficial for you to train with me, Konji. I'm sure Sasuke's really got you trained in Uchiha jutsu but I could teach you what he couldn't of the Senju." he heard Hashirama offering the boy.

Meanwhile, Madara seemed beyond happy as he spoke to Itachi, "This is great, you've finally got your eyes back, Itachi. Not to mention a power boost for both of you. I'm sure it's will be nice to be able to see again."

"Kisame, leave me alone before I turn you into sushi." Neji threated the smirking elder ninja, who joked about being ready to get grilled by Madara and Itachi about taking care of Sasuke. Hinata giggled at the two, Naruto smirking.

Kakashi ran a hand through his hair, listening as Gai spoke in excitement along with Lee about how the three of them plus Sasuke would have to have a double training session together.

They all chattered, Sasuke catching bits and pieces of everyone's speaking, but not focusing on any one particular. He could see Sakura fighting with Ino, Gaara quietly listening to Kiba's excited speaking, Shino having a stare-off with Shikamaru. It seemed like everyone was having a good time. Honestly, it made Sasuke happy, and a bit overwhelmed.

He could feel the emotions burning within each person, their spirits oozing happiness with a few light mixes of sadness in between. Sasuke's head felt ready to explode, the emotions surrounding him, along with the other's conversations and thoughts. He was glad they were happy but damn. 'This food is great' 'I'm glad Sasuke is back, but what a drag to be in such a big crowd' 'Madara wouldn't do that to me if I made Sasuke upset, would he?' 'Why does Sasuke look so dazed? Is he sick? Probably tired from the long journey. The bastard barely has any stamina.'

He stood up halfway through his fish as he heard Naruto's thoughts. Shit, he looked off? He noticed a few people glancing over to him, but he only waved them off dismissively. He needed to go get some fresh air, that was all.

Sasuke wobbled off to the compound park, heading to the bench he always sat on to clear his head. Much to his surprise, someone already sat there. Touya. Sasuke gave an awkward cough, sitting down beside the other, who turned to look at him slightly. "Hey Touya, you doing alright?"

The other nodded, face holding an almost angelic smile. "I'm doing great. Thanks. What about you?"

Sasuke had to admit he was relaxed as he realized the boy wasn't pooling off any particular emotion. He had a gentle aura of joy and peace, but besides that, nothing. "I'm doing alright. Thanks. I'm surprised you're not at dinner though. We didn't stop for lunch on the way back."

Touya pressed his lips together in a sheepish smile. "I guess I forgot. I was just thinking about how nice it is to be out during dusk, knowing my brother is safe. It's been so long."

Sasuke nodded in understanding, "I'm sure. But you're both safe now. As members of the compound, you have us all here to make sure you're both safe." resting a hand on the younger's shoulder in a brotherly way. He noticed the teen almost recoil at the touch and internally sighed. As touch-starved as always, it seems. Hopefully, this could be fixed, having the compound as a new family. Touya's smile told Sasuke he agreed.

TKTKTKTKTKKTKTKTKTKTK

Later that night, Sasuke sat in his old bed, ready to sleep. He was letting his hair down when he heard the door creak open from behind him. On reflex, he stiffed and turned to the person in the doorway- Hashirama and Madara.

He relaxed only slightly, which was a mistake. It took Madara only a second to zip past him, holding him from behind, and falling back onto the bed with him. Sasuke yelled in surprise, reflexively pulling forward. "Madara-! The hell are you doing-!"

Sasuke heard Hashirama's chuckle and gave him a hearted glare. Useless treehugger. "Sasuke, don't you know how worried we were about you? Leaving for three years and not letting us send you back messages. Foolish little boy." Madara nearly pouted, tugging on Sasuke's cheek as the teen scowled. Great, he was getting lectured.

Finally relaxing in Madara's hold, between his legs and leaning on his chest in an almost childish way, he was enjoying the coddling while Hashirama sat beside them on the bed. "Tch, I was thirteen. I'm supposed to make risky choices at that age, foolish old man."

Hashirama sighed, covering his eyes. Sasuke blinked at him, watching for a moment as Hashirama ran his fingers through his hair. "You're so damn big. I just. We failed. We were supposed to keep you safe and make sure you didn't have to do anything like this. You're probably scarred from being in that terrible place- human experiments, teaching, that snake-"

Sasuke could tell he was brooding. He could practically see the dark aura around him, plus he could feel the guilt washing off him. Sasuke put a hand over Hashirama's mouth, startling them both. "You didn't fail, idiot. You were told to make sure I didn't go bat shit crazy and do terrible things. You did exactly that. I haven't done a single thing I regret. Did I do things I'm embarrassed by? Yes. Did I hurt people I didn't want to? Yes. But that doesn't mean I regret it. It's made me who I was, just like you guys have. Everyone has to do bad things. I'm sure you guys have done things you hated. Everyone has scars. You both helped me to minimalize them. You've both been more parent like to me than even my own parents were. I'm eternally grateful for that." he smiled tiredly. "I'm sure Itachi feels the same way."

He could feel Madara's hands drift through his hair, Itachi sounding in from the doorway. "I do." the teen muttered, heading in, and sitting down on the spot beside Sasuke and Madara. "Sasuke would have probably killed me by now, and the village would be as corrupted as ever. Not to mention the suffering the Akatsuki would have caused."

Itachi settled for resting his head on Madara's shoulder, relaxing as he listed to Madara. "Parents, eh? Funny you two should mention that. Itachi probably hasn't realized since he's been blind and we've been careful...then I'm sure Sasuke wouldn't know but..." the man reached over to peck a flustering Hashirama on the temple.

Sasuke flustered, Itachi blinking. Shit, telepathy can't warn you about everything he supposed. Itachi mused, "Three out of four Uchiha, homosexual. What are the chances."

Sasuke stretched, joking, "Pretty damn good, apparently." blinking a bit as he felt a spot in the room begin to warm. He pointing off to the left, "Hey, uh, I think somethings going on over there. I see a lot of warm energy." Sharingan activated in confusion.

The other Uchiha's activated theirs, quirking their brows in confusion and then surprise as Indra and Asura appeared in front of them. They held a light mist, making it clear they were spirits. Indra smirked lightly, jabbing both Itachi and Sasuke in the forehead good-naturedly. Both quickly moved to cover their foreheads in surprise and embarrassment, looking at the other with bewilderment. "I would say the Uchiha cub summed it up. You've both done well, Madara and Hashirama. You've done a lot more than we expected."

Asura gave Sasuke a pointed look, amusement covering his face, however. "To think, you doubted our judgment in sending them down you two. I'm impressed you were able to sense us so fast." shaking his head back and forth gently. "With Sasuke's more relaxed attitude towards Naruto, the circle of hate between our reincarnates has ended. The village is safe now with Itachi on his way to becoming Hokage. Then finally, Indra has given you all a little shove with restoring the clan. Konji has had some extra Uchiha spirit infused into his chakra- should anything ever trigger it, he will get the Sharingan to pass on."

Hashirama nodded in appreciation along with Madara, both holding their boys tightly. Indra smiled, giving both the younger Uchihas a look of satisfaction. "You're both set now. The plan has been set forward and followed through. I know you two will make the Uchiha bloodline proud."


	46. Note: Part Two

This is an announcement for anyone who has finished this story and wants to read more of this timeline. Since this fanfic is a huge comfort for me, I decided a while ago to write part two. 

It will be focusing on Sasuke/Neji, Naruto/Gaara, Kisame/Itachi, and Hinata raising their kids. Along with this, Madara and Hashirama getting to meet their grandkids. 

A bit of forewarning, it will not be a male pregnancy fanfic. The kids will be adopted. They will not be OCs either. They will be canon orphans from the Boruto storyline, but no knowledge is needed of that anime/manga since I'm pretty much rewriting the entire Boruto universe (To the point where there's no Boruto. Also, no Himawari or Sarada, sadly). 

For anyone who has seen Boruto, the kids will include Mitzuki, Log, Kawaki, Shinki, and Shizuma. Along with possibly others in later chapters, but those are the opening characters. 

Warning, though: Part two will contain spoilers for the children's backstories.

So, yeah, that's all, I believe. If you want to read it, you can. If not, cool. I'll have the first few chapters uploaded soon for anyone who does.


End file.
